Frensham: A New Zealand Garden

About the Authors

MARGARET LONG calls herself a ‘late bloomer’ to gardening – her interest developed into a life-changing passion 30 years ago when she first began visiting gardens near and far, and developing her own, Frensham, in Canterbury, New Zealand. A voracious reader on all aspects of gardening and with a particular interest in trees and shrubs, Margaret’s knowledge and expertise and the joy she found in visiting gardens and sharing her knowledge saw her begin “Margaret Long’s Tours”, for which she developed her own very successful itineraries, leading groups to many European gardens. Margaret published The Gardener’s Journal, which was very well received, and her continued search for knowledge about trees has led to her new role as editor of the newsletter of the New Zealand Branch of the International Dendrology Society. Frensham has been open for visitors for 25 years and in February 2019 was the only garden included in the New Zealand House & Gardens magazine Christchurch tour. These days, Margaret’s monthly newsletter “Writings from Frensham” is read by gardeners throughout the world.

JULIET NICHOLAS has been a freelance photographer for 30 years, specialising in garden, architectural and documentary photography. Her work features regularly in New Zealand’s leading magazines, including NZ House & Garden and New Zealand Gardener and occasionally in overseas publications. She also undertakes many private commissions and is increasingly involved with the publication of books. Her previous book, Flourish: New Zealand Women and Their Extraordinary Gardens (Penguin Random House 2018), has received critical acclaim. An avid gardener, it is no surprise that Juliet is best known for her garden photography. She regards it as a privilege to return to a garden many times, as she has at Frensham – in this case, for the first time throughout one continuous year – capturing the changing complexities, nuances and beauty as the months and seasons unfold. When she is not taking pictures in other people’s gardens, Juliet can be found pottering in her own Christchurch backyard. In her free time she escapes to the wilderness of Stewart Island, where she delights in the beauty and bounty of the great outdoors.