Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival Liftout - 11 November 2022

Photo: John Borren

About the Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival

Tickets are still available for the Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival, which runs from November 17-20. e festival not only promotes the unique lifestyle of the Bay of Plenty, but is fast becoming New Zealand’s premier garden and art event.

e excited team at the helm of the festival are passionate about gardens, art and promoting the beautiful Bay of Plenty.

e 2022 festival, with Bayleys as the principal festival partner, o ers a garden and art trail, supported by a spectacular festival hub at Tauranga Racecourse.

e 2022 festival, with Bayleys as the principal festival partner, o ers a garden and art trail, supported by a spectacular festival hub at Tauranga Racecourse.

Spanning from Katikati to beyond Te Puke, the stunning Garden & Art Trail, sponsored by Palmers Bethlehem, provides an opportunity for four days to visit the private domains and gardens of participating gardeners and view their creativity.

Festival-goers come from around the Bay of Plenty and across New Zealand to the festival.

“My now 85-year-old grandmother use to travel from Taranaki where she was president of the New Plymouth Floral Art Society every two years with fellow members/friends

to explore what we have,” says Craigs Investment Partners Tauranga & Hamilton area manager Hayley Nelson. “It really is quite the date in people’s diaries. I’m looking forward to it.” e hub of the festival at Tauranga Racecourse – Bloom in the Bay, sponsored by Craigs Investment Partners –will feature porcelain and oral art, live music, sculptures, Polynesian wall art, pottery, jewellery, woodcraft, garden art, carving, murals, glass art, cake decorating, millinery, food and trade stalls, a kids’ area, demonstrations, talks, sustainable and wearable art, workshops and photography.

For those keen to get their tickets as fast as possible, they are available online with Event nda, and also in-store at Palmers Bethlehem, i-site Tauranga, Décor Gardenworld, Paci ca Home and Garden Store, Te Puke Florists and Katch Katikati – Katikati Information Centre.

As well as this, people can also participate in the festival’s popular three-course Long Lunch with host and former ‘NZ House & Garden’ magazine editor Lynda Hallinan who will be joined by NZ’s ‘bug man’ Ruud Kleinpaste.

e Weekend Sun Emerging Artist nalists and winner will

also have their work on display at Bloom in the Bay.

e Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival is on November 17-20. A One-Day Pass only costs $40 and a Multi-day Festival Pass is $65, and both packs include a festival pass, directory and map. Visit: www.gardenandartfestival.co.nz for ticket sales and more information.

What’s new in 2022? Plenty!

e 2022 festival, with Bayleys as the principal festival partner, and Palmers Bethlehem sponsors of the Garden & Art Trail, o ers 74 garden and art stops. Of these, 20 are art studio stops and 30 per cent of the gardens are new to the festival. At the art stops, artists can be seen working from their own studios.

is year there are more artists than ever before, so much so, that the Art Studio trail has been created within the main trail. All of the artists will also have a taste of their work on display in the main dedicated Festival Gallery at Bloom in the Bay.

Getting around the garden and art trail is made easy with the assistance of Mount Classics providing a bus shuttle service.

Photo: John Borren

Spanning from Katikati to beyond Te Puke, the stunning Garden & Art Trail, sponsored by Palmers Bethlehem, provides an opportunity for four days to visit the private domains and gardens of participating gardeners and view their creativity.

is year the festival hub, Bloom in the Bay at Tauranga Racecourse, is launching the inaugural Bloom Plaza – a new area bursting with garden-related trade stalls. Products people want for their gardens including barbecues will be available to browse and buy. It’s a mini tradeshow – within a festival hub – within a festival that spans the Bay of Plenty.

Sponsored by Craigs Investment Partners, Bloom in the Bay will also be featuring a small village of tiny homes and cabins provided by Freedom Cabins NZ. Wander around outside and then inside at Bloom in the Bay, browsing the much-loved galleries, competitions, speaker and workshop series. And then relax back and enjoy the music and delicious food.

Legacy Gardens

Each year the Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival organisers like to install permanent legacy gardens that people can visit after the festival is over. Six were created in 2018 at Tauranga Historic Village, including a hanging tree garden. In 2020, three new gardens were put in place at Tauranga Racecourse, and again in 2022 another three will be installed at the racecourse venue.

“Over a period of years, these Legacy Gardens may eventually develop into a 360-day trail,” says festival director Marc Anderson.

is year, as well as gardens created by Tony Dawson at the Bloom in the Bay location, the festival is shining a spotlight on the Brain Watkins House garden, which dates back to the early-1880s. e plan is to return it to some degree of its

former glory as an acknowledgement back to the community from the festival gardeners.

“On behalf of our gardeners, we have donated some money to Brain Watkins House. Tauranga landscape architect Nicola Vague from Zones Landscaping is creating a design that will be ready for the festival,” says Marc.

“ e garden will be upgraded to be in keeping with the original style.”

Four days of garden and art heaven

With new artists and gardens to explore, the four days will be packed with vibrancy and delightful moments. Take a friend, go as a group and discover the secret wonderlands people have developed on their properties.

anks to the wonderful gardeners and brilliant artists, the festival is bringing us a garden trail to savour, with many captivating experiences along the way.

All stories: Rosalie Liddle Crawford

Bloom in the Bay The Festival Hub

What better place to chill out at than Bloom in the Bay – the festival hub, which is sponsored by Craigs Investment Partners. Located at Tauranga Racecourse, Bloom in the Bay features live music and bands, a kids’ zone, stage acts, and a garden bar to relax in and enjoy a bite to eat while planning garden and art trail visits over the four days of the festival.

After having a co ee and rest from visiting the trail, take a wander around Bloom in the Bay to see art, sculpture, and ower displays. And make sure you make a beeline to the new Bloom Plaza, full of trade stalls. is new and exciting installation to Bloom in the Bay is a commercial exhibition space where festival hub visitors can browse products from garden and art-related businesses.

“We have been supporting this great, allinclusive community event for over 10 years and really enjoy seeing the Bay of Plenty showcase of beautiful gardens, talented artists, expert speakers and public involvement,” says Craigs Investment Partners Tauranga & Hamilton area manager Hayley Nelson.

“Seeing the festival grow each time is a real opportunity for us locally to not only attract visitors but to build a stronger community. is

year we are looking forward to presenting to the public ourselves at the Bloom in the Bay festival hub.”

e Bay of Plenty Floral Art Society will once again be holding their Designer of the Year competition during the festival. A Floral Fiesta will be the overall oral art theme and will feature a celebration design for the Platinum Jubilee, a paper extravaganza, and a masquerade mask display. All will be on display in the Sir Tristram Lounge. e Floral Art Village outside will include large designs using NZ indigenous foliage creating a pathway into the village. Ten-minute demonstrations on various oral art ideas will occur every hour in the Floral Art Village, along with other oral art concepts.

Many works on display

Tauranga Cake Decorators Guild, Tauranga Porcelain Artists, Tauranga Society of Artists, Tauranga Woodcrafters, Bethlehem Pottery Club and e Weekend Sun Emerging Artist participants will have their work on display.

e Bloom in the Bay Festival Gallery will feature sculptures, photography, paintings, ceramics, textiles, glass art and more from local and national artists.

A speaker and workshop series in the Bloom Plaza includes ‘bug man’ Ruud Kleinpaste giving enlightening chats on pollinators, pests, predators and parasites.

After having a co ee and rest from visiting the trail, take a wander around Bloom in the Bay to see art, sculpture, and flower displays. And make sure you make a beeline to the new Bloom Plaza

Learn how to make a seed bomb, a cress head and about the art of traditional Furoshiki wrapping with Envirohub’s workshops. Also learn how to make posies, Christmas wreaths and table centrepieces with Shontelle.

Emma Cole, a horticulture tutor, will talk soil science and propagation, and give a demonstration about growing microgreens to add to salads and sandwiches. Carole Long will inspire with her knowledge for parks, conservation and wildlife, and Geo Canham and Fiona Lavin will talk about how you can support a green, healthier region by starting in your own garden.

Rounding o the speaker series will be awardwinning photographer Kim Westerskov giving illustrated talks on capturing photos of your garden. Also Luke Judd from Predator Free BOP and collage artist Marion Murphy will share their areas of expertise.

Outside on the Bloom Stage, a great line-up of musicians and performers will be adding to the vibe during the four-day festival. Relax, dance, listen to and enjoy entertainment and music while viewing art and the new Bloom Plaza.

Making art not waste is a message that comes with a competition and prizes as Envirohub’s annual Sustainable Art Challenge with Wearable Arts joins the festival this year. With participants from under16 and 16-plus age groups, the next generation of fashion designers will be inspiring others through spreading the message that while we all need clothes,

we need to make wise choices. Also come and see performances from W Dance Company who will present enchanting contemporary dance performances expressing the unpredictable nature of rain. W Dance Company is a local initiative aimed at creating more employment opportunities for many dancers.

Live bumblebee hive

A live bumblebee hive will be on display for children and adults alike to watch the queen bumblebee and her family. Bumblebees live under the ground so it’s a wonderful opportunity to view them safely up close. Also, be amused with story readings of ‘Bumblebees Have Smelly Feet’. is wonderful, informative book will be read by the author herself Rachel Weston and her books available to buy.

In the kids’ area Liberty Montessori is looking forward to delighting children in their special Children’s Garden. is is a fun interactive space for children visiting Bloom in the Bay to explore, create and have fun. Come along and discover everything a plant needs to grow, check out a beehive without the bees, paint a rock, or make something to take home.

Entry to Bloom in the Bay is free for festival pass holders, or $5 at the gate, with children under 14 free. Bloom in the Bay opening hours at Tauranga Racecourse are 9.30am-6pm on ursday, November 17, Friday, November 18, and Saturday, November 19. On Sunday, November 20, Bloom in the Bay is open 9.30am-3pm. Visitor parking is available at Tauranga Racecourse from 9am.

Be part of a city that’s hardwired for arts and culture. Share your feedback at www.tauranga.govt.nz/actionplan

Maybe she’s artsy. Maybe we’re all born with it.

Because actions speak louder than words.

Freedom Cabins NZ will be on display at Bloom in the Bay.

A long scrumptious lunch

Enjoying a relaxing afternoon full of laughter, music, great company and delicious cuisine, while listening to someone talking about the joy of gardening, is a luxurious event not to be missed.

Lynda Hallinan, who has made a career out of her passion for gardening, will host the Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival’s Long Lunch at the Doncaster Lounge at Tauranga Racecourse on Sunday, November 20.

is much-lauded gardening guru has spent her working life writing and talking about gardening from rst-hand experience.

“We are thrilled to have Lynda Hallinan join us to be part of our 2022 Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival,” says Bay of Plenty Garden & Art Festival director Marc Anderson.

A New Zealand gardening journalist, author, broadcaster and plantaholic, Lynda has spent half her life digging up ideas for growing food and owers in Kiwi gardens. She is the former editor of ‘NZ Gardener’ and ‘Weekend Gardener’ magazines, she previously edited the gardening pages of ‘Your Home & Garden’ and ‘NZ House & Garden’ magazines, she fronted TV gardening shows, was a ‘Sunday StarTimes’ columnist, and talked gardening on air for many years too.

NZ’s ‘bug man’

Lynda’s latest book, ‘ e Joy of Gardening’, celebrates the healing power of nature and all the little moments of pleasure that our gardens bring us, from birdsong to bringing in bees and butter ies, producing nourishing food and owers, sharing plants and memories, and seeking comfort in times of uncertainty. Autographed copies of Lynda’s book will be available to purchase at the Long Lunch.

Lynda will be joined at the podium by New Zealand’s ‘bug man’ and special guest Ruud Kleinpaste. As well as adding to the sense of great company, Ruud is certain to turn the entertainment dial up a notch resulting in laughter rippling around the room. And the event will include live musical entertainment. Tickets for the Long Lunch with Lynda Hallinan from 12pm-3pm Sunday, November 20, are $125 at Bay of Plenty Garden and Art Festival website: www.gardenandartfestival.co.nz

On the trail Gardens, artists and studios

From Katikati to Te Puke, the Garden & Art Trail, sponsored by Palmers Bethlehem, is o ering 74 stunning locations to visit.

is year an Art Studio trail with 20 stops has been created within the main trail – and 30 per cent of the gardens are new to the festival. At the art stops, artists can be seen working from their own studios. Fraser and Gillian Brodie have transformed their Ohauiti property into an Italian Renaissance garden, with steps and pillars, a water feature and wrought iron fencing that evokes a Tuscan vibe. Open to festival-goers, this year Piccola Lante is an art stop with artists Gillian Brodie and Heidi Borchardt showing their work in two studios in the house. Visitors are at liberty to enjoy a co ee and the garden while perusing art.

Tucked away in Te Puna is a French rustic barnstyle gallery featuring the talents of a creative family of artists. ere is the bronze and glass work of Susan Brauchli and Matthew Brauchli, and the watercolour paintings of Talitha Brauchli. is picturesque art stop location is a must-see for those who love ne art with exquisite detail. ere is also a range of giftware incorporating Talitha’s watercolours available to buy.

Close to downtown Mount Maunganui, Eclectica is a lush, subtropical garden with palms, dracaenas, bromeliads, cycads and ferns.

Mature native trees including pohutukawa, puka, cordyline and puriri are set amongst large boulders, and the garden path leads down to a quiet secluded rock garden and gazebo. Julie and Jim Carle have created a perfect spot to watch birds bathe in the

shpond and listen to the resident frogs. Many festival artists will be present with their work in the gardens to meet festival-goers, and each artist will also have a piece on display at Bloom in the Bay. Some artists are exhibiting solely at Bloom in the Bay.

Malcolm Bowling recently moved to Tauranga from South Africa with his family. His detailed and stunning oil paintings and pencil drawings once re ected his former home’s wildlife, but he is now emerging with a new ow of subject matter inspired by New Zealand wildlife. His work will be on show at Bloom in the Bay during the festival.

ere is so much variety amongst the gardens and art works thanks to the inspirational urges and labours of love from artists and gardeners alike. And don’t forget to drop into Palmers Bethlehem while on the Garden & Art Trail.

Malcolm Bowling’s wildlife paintings will be on show at Bloom in the Bay.

Family of artists Susan, Matthew and Talitha Brauchli at Beautiful Wild Gallery.

Artist Gillian Brodie at Piccola Lante.