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Published on : Friday, November 23, 2018
The Mansfield Garden, opened this week in Hamilton, represents the early 20th century New Zealand garden described in writer Katherine Mansfield’s celebrated short story ‘The Garden Party’.
The new garden is the latest addition to a series of popular fantasy-themed gardens at Hamilton Gardens.
Inspired by the early 20th century garden the Mansfield described in ‘The Garden Party’, the garden features elements common in New Zealand gardens at the time and includes the façade of an Edwardian period house representing the Mansfield family home in Wellington.
Katherine Mansfield was a New Zealand-born author recognised internationally as one of the foremost pioneers in modern literature. ‘The Garden Party’ is one of her best-known works. First published in 1922, it was apparently inspired by an event that took place in1907 in a Wellington garden which was then a few years old.
Garden design detail recalls the style and architecture appropriate to the Edwardian period in New Zealand. Some elements are directly inspired by the original story including a marquee set for a party, a tennis court and a small band. Under the marquee, delicate treats and beverages crafted from resin and concrete have been laid out ahead of the party. There is also an Edwardian era Ford Model T.
Common elements of Edwardian gardens included looping or circular gravel driveways to the front door, large lawns and a lawn tennis court in larger gardens. Ornamental ponds, fountains and roses were popular along with oriental flora such as: maples, cherries, wisteria, camellia, rhododendrons and bamboo. New Zealand natives were also used, such as the karaka hedge on the far side of the tennis court that’s mentioned in the story. The hills behind are planted with New Zealand natives, recalling the Wellington hills behind the Mansfield family home.
Architectural details such as the bench seats and pergola also match the period. The chosen façade resembles the home of the author’s parents in Tinakori Road, Wellington.
In her story, Mansfield describes 15 kinds of sandwiches with the crusts cut off and “Godber’s famous cream puffs”. While the names of several people she knew in New Zealand were changed before incorporating them into ‘The Garden Party’, Mansfield made no effort to disguise the identity of the most successful baker, confectioner and caterer in Wellington at the turn of the 20th century, whose name was James Godber.
According to the New Zealand Times, Godber had “a very fine delivery van… kept delivering stock to order” and was well known for his “pastry, buns, fancy cakes, scones, cream puffs, girdle scones”.
Source:- Tourism New Zealand