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The Cyclopedia of New Zealand [Canterbury Provincial District]

Private Gardens

Private Gardens.

The people of Christchurch have never seemed to take much interest in private gardens—that is to say, in gardens kept up as a commercial speculation and open at a small charge to the public. The reasons are not far to seek. In the first place, the magnificent public reserves, already described—Hagley Park, the Museum Gardens, Victoria Park, and Latimer and Cranmer Squares—provide unlimited scope for the forms of enjoyment to which private gardens are usually devoted. The river, with its grassy, well shaded banks, offers first rate facilities for picnics and outings along most of its course. The proximity of Sumner and New Brighton, and their close connection by tram with the city, make resorts of this kind superfluous. As to flower gardens, every stranger who visits Christchurch is at once struck with the amazing number and beauty of the gardens attached to private dwellings. The level fertile ground, and the large area of the city afford room for horticulture to an extent impossible in Auckland, Wellington, or Dunedin. The result of all this is that there has never been any demand in Christchurch for “private gardens,” like McNab's famous gardens at the Hutt, or even like the Karori gardens, or the tea gardens at Kilbirnie. Somewhat elaborate attempts at popularising such resorts have occasionally been made. Those who knew Christchurch twenty-five years ago or more will recollect Taylor's Gardens (on the Lower Lincoln Road, next to the old High School) with their fantastic maze, and splendid swimming bath. But the ground has long since been cut up into building allotments, and no one seemed to miss it. The chief efforts made in this direction have attempted to provide picnic facilities for those who go down the river in boats; and “The Pines” and Bligh's Tea Gardens, near page 48 New Brighton on the lower course of the Avon, have been very popular in their time. But as has been observed, the city is so well provided with beautiful public recreation grounds that all opportunities needed to complete the open air enjoyment of the inhabitants are afford by athletic grounds like Sydenham Park and Lancaster Park.