Hamilton Gardens can truly claim to be amongst the world's most entertaining gardens - so how did a provincial New Zealand town manage to create such a magnificent achievement?

It all started in 1960 when a rubbish dump on the edge of town was bequeathed to the city council, though it took another twenty years before a plan was devised to create the ultimate garden story.

With 54 acres to play with, the plan was to create a series of garden rooms, each dedicated to significant stages of garden design history.

This was not just going to be just a pleasant place to enjoy seasonal plants - the grand scheme was one of inspiration and education, casting light on how garden spaces have evolved and the significant elements they contribute to the many ways we now enjoy formal and informal gardens.

While still in development, the gardens today provide an excellent day out for all ages offering dozens of different environments and plant collections to wander through and browse.

Amongst these are:-

Italian Renaissance Garden: 

Geometric in nature, Italian gardens melded ancient Islamic and Arabian influences together with European mediaeval designs to create spaces that were testament to both science and art. 

Colourful flower beds are surrounded by low hedges and intersected with waterways, while trellis make a canopy to shade the terraces from the heat of the day. 

Statuary is a vital part of these gardens, as are the building backdrops that provide solid contrast to the softness of foliage and bloom.

Indian Char Bagh Garden: 

With influences from China, Persia and North Africa, Indian Gardens have, through the British connections, played a huge part in how we appreciate gardens today. 

These were secret, poetic places where cool breezes, sparkling water and heady perfumes filled the air. 

Again Islamic patterns played a conspicuous role in layout and presentation of the most colourful shrubs perennials and annuals.

Japanese Garden of Contemplation: 

Less concerned with flowers than shape, Japan has brought much to the palette of the modern landscape artist by demonstrating simple but powerful mood inducing techniques. 

The dry Zen garden features almost no plants, replaced instead by pebbles and rock creating evocative, sweeping vistas. 

While the Stroll garden features a panoramic lake to reflect the delicacy of the maples, pines and moss covered rocks.

English Flower Garden: 

Incorporating much from history and other regions of the world, the English added their love-affair with colourful perennials and annuals to create the enduring 'cottage style' gardens that remain so popular today. 

Referred to as the 'Arts & Crafts' movement, these gardens showcase a huge array of colourful plants in deep border plantings arranged in cascading height while being bordered with low box hedges.

Chinese Garden: 

Over 2,000 years, the Chinese have created gardens of great symbolism, mystery, ambiguity and charm - all features you will find in this part of the gardens. 

From bright pagodas to deep, dark bamboo thickets and colourful Wisteria Bridges, the paths meander, slowing the visitor to soak up the atmosphere and rich collection of foliage and flowered plants.

Modernist Garden: 

Included more for completeness than being particularly influential in the grand scheme of things, this California 'experience' garden is most strikingly about the juxtaposition of art and nature. 

The structure is based on practical use, in this case a swimming pool and barbeque area along with a minimalist lack of plant detail.

Kitchen Garden: 

One of this reviewer's favourite garden rooms - or in this case a vast ballroom - the Kitchen Garden at Hamilton is close to best seen anywhere. 

High walled and meticulously laid out and maintained, this highly productive garden features crisp rows of vibrant crops mixed with plenty of large flowering displays, as is a common sight in the larger kitchen gardens of Europe. 

Tender fruits are espaliered along the high brick walls while a central pond provides a source of extra water in dry spells.

There are many other garden rooms to explore, some still in development, each providing distinct interest and new plantings to discover. They include:-

Tudor Garden: 

a powerful example of a 'Knot Garden' made from interweaving low box hedges creating intricate Moorish patterns.

Te Parapara Garden: 

showcases the practical indigenous gardens along with plenty of cultural carvings.

Tropical Garden: 

is impressively executed with intense plantings of rainforest plants covering many stories and culminating with a verdant canopy. The textures and colours of foliage plants are used to powerful effect while raised walkways and bridges create counterpoint and excellent viewing decks.

There are plenty more garden precincts to explore, too numerous to include here, though we must mention the 'Rogers Rose Garden' that is extensive and extremely well stocked from species roses to a wide variety of ancient and modern cultivars including many from the very influential Malmaison gardens of Napoleon's wife 'Empress Josephine'.

In summary I would say that of the many natural wonders which attract visitors to New Zealand, this man made showcase of garden history stands near the top. 

Bay of Islands - yes, Milford sound - yes, Rotorua - yes . . and don't forget Hamilton Gardens. 

For Australians its worth a trip over the ditch in its own right.