Everything is coming up roses for Ōamaru Public Gardens.

The New Zealand Gardens Trust awarded the gardens five stars, and renewed its accreditation as a Garden of National Significance until January 2027.

Assessors visited the gardens in 2023 and decided the results late in the year, at their ratification meeting.

Lead assessor Jan Woodhouse said it was a “privilege and pleasure to visit gardens that are the result of hours of work by passionate, creative, and knowledgeable people”. 

“We leave inspired and humble by our experiences.”

The gardens were commended for their historic and contemporary elements and plantings, including the more recent wildflower areas.

The extensive range and variation in the scale of spaces and the planting schemes were also praised, as was the ongoing restoration of the glass house.

Despite the five-star rating, there is always room to grow, and suggestions were made to expand the wildflower area and plant more along the stream.

At the root of the garden’s success is the hard-working gardeners, Waitaki mayor Gary Kircher said. 

“It’s thanks to an unbe-leaf-able effort of our green-fingered team, that our beautiful public gardens gain this recognition. 

“With such a wonderful space, it’s always a thorny challenge to maintain, but the team rose to the occasion”.