Covering an acre and a half, on the brow of a north-facing hill, Puketarata Garden is a captivating private country garden 6km north of Hāwera that offers fantastic views of inland Taranaki and Taranaki Maunga.

Owners Ken and Jennifer Horner started their home and garden project in 1983 with a bare paddock and a shared passion for native New Zealand plants. This passion, almost 30 years on, has resulted in increased native bird life including tūī, bell birds and kererū.

The property features a large lawn adjacent to the home, a grass tennis court on a level below the home, connected by ha-ha and a small orchard under-planted with daffodils. A vegetable and herb garden and a berry house can be found behind the home.

The gully below the house was fenced off and systematically planted with a mix of natives, deciduous trees and rhododendrons, which can be viewed from the ha-ha and gully tracks. With an emphasis on greens and texture, the garden planting is a blend of natives, rhododendrons,  roses, the usual and unusual garden shrubs and perennials.

The garden and home are adjacent to the Puketarata Pā, one of the many pā sites in this area, constructed some 400 years ago. Evidence of the trenches, house sites and midden are still  visible.

Puketarata Garden is recognised as a Garden of National Significance.

Open: 9am–5pm during festival season, or by appointment. 

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