Anam Cara gets Gardens Trust tick

Anam Cara Gardens has been given a three-star rating by the prestigious New Zealand Gardens Trust.

It’s the first garden on the Kāpiti Coast to receive official recognition for its quality.

Anam Cara is best known locally as the venue for the annual Pots and Garden Art Festival, but being on the Garden Trust’s register will bring many more plant-lovers to the town.

The garden complex in Rangiuru Road, built on land originally tilled by Māori and later Chinese market gardeners, was known as Coe Haven in the 1980s.

The Coes began the process of enhancing the grounds with plantings and the introduction of garden architecture.

When the Coes moved on, Boon Kee ran the property as a movie theatre and got resource consent for weddings and events.

The Hartendorps were the next owners and their vision was one of a retreat centre. They invested and developed the property extensively, knocking down the old farmhouse and renovating the theatre into a conference centre.

In late 2017, current owners Tim and Teresa Grigg moved to the property. Fresh from their own wedding planning, they could see the potential as a wedding venue.

“We were also incredibly naïve as to how much work was involved,” Teresa says.

“With a young family and both of us working full time, we needed help.”

It came initially in the form of both their parents, then Gary and Christine Scannell.

Gary had experience as a greenkeeper at Clearwater Golf Club, and Christine was an expert at pruning the roses and keeping the property weed free.

Teresa says getting the garden assessed took two attempts.

“We didn’t quite cut the mustard the first time mainly due to the much needed arborist work. Fortunately the assessors gave us some great tips and as money permitted we set about quietly working away on these.

“Getting the rating the second time around was an amazing feeling and one we are very proud of.”

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