Blog
New Zealand Garden Clubs Directory by Region
New Zealand has hundreds of garden clubs, horticultural societies and community gardens — from general neighbourhood groups to specialist rose, orchid and tree-crop societies. This directory lists established organisations by region, plus national bodies and community-garden starting points. Details change; always confirm meeting times on the group’s website or Facebook page before you visit.
New to online groups? See our guide to NZ garden groups on Facebook, Instagram and locally. For constructive group culture, read giving and receiving garden feedback.
North Island
Northland
- Whangarei Quarry Gardens — subtropical community garden maintained by volunteers. whangareigardens.org.nz
- Whangarei District — search Volunteering Northland — gardening roles for current opportunities.
- Far North — floral-art, organic growers and district clubs are listed via Top of the North community directory.
- Wharepuke Subtropical Garden (Kerikeri) — plantsman’s garden and sculpture park. NZ Gardens Trust listing
Auckland
Auckland has one of the country’s largest gardening networks. The Auckland Horticultural Council connects affiliated clubs and publishes a clubs directory. More clubs are indexed at Gardening NZ — Auckland.
- Auckland Horticultural Council — umbrella body, Western Springs venue. ahcnz.com
- Torbay Garden Club — North Shore, monthly meetings. torbaygardenclub.co.nz
- North Shore Horticultural Society — CAB directory listing
- Greenhithe Gardening Club — informal garden visits. CAB listing
- Eden Garden (Mt Eden) — public garden and events. edengarden.co.nz
- Secret Gardens — curated private garden visits across NZ. secretgardens.co.nz
Waikato
- Hamilton Gardens — world-themed public gardens; home to the Friends of Hamilton Gardens club.
- Waikato Horticultural Society — talks and plant sales. CAB listing
- Cambridge Garden Circle — cambridgegardencircle.org.nz; annual Rotary Cambridge Garden Festival.
- Matangi Garden Club — known for district plant sales. Matangi Link
- Waikato Rose Society — NZ Rose Society — Waikato
- NZ Tree Crops Association — Waikato Branch — fruit and nut trees. CAB listing
- Grandview Community Garden (Hamilton) — multicultural organic garden. Community Waikato
Bay of Plenty
Troppo is based in Te Puke — this region has strong club, community-garden and food-forest activity. See also our Community & Te Puke and Food Forests archives.
- Tauranga Orchid Society — taurangaorchids.co.nz
- Papamoa Garden Circle — monthly meetings. Bay Venues
- Bay of Plenty Rose Society — NZ Rose Society — BOP
- Bay of Plenty Group, NZ Iris Society — nziris.org.nz
- Good Neighbour Community Gardens (Bethlehem) — food sharing and teaching. goodneighbour.co.nz
- Whakatāne Community Gardens — organic community growing. EnviroHub BOP
- Grow On Katikati — local food resilience. Tourism Bay of Plenty
- Food forests in Tauranga — overview on Troppo: Food Forests Tauranga
- The Elms (Tauranga) — heritage garden. NZ Gardens Trust
- Whakatāne clubs index — whakatane.info
Gisborne & Hawke’s Bay
- Poverty Bay Horticultural Society (Gisborne) — long-running shows and competitions. CAB listing
- Eastwoodhill Arboretum — National Arboretum of NZ. eastwoodhill.org.nz
- Friends of Gisborne Botanic Gardens — friendsbotanicgardens.org
- Hawke’s Bay Fruitgrowers’ Association — industry and events. hbfa.co.nz
- Hawke’s Bay A&P Society — includes horticultural field days. hbap.co.nz
- Napier garden groups — Napier City Council directory
Taranaki, Manawatū-Whanganui & Wellington
- New Plymouth Horticultural Society — search local CAB or Facebook for current contacts.
- Palmerston North Horticultural Society — regional horticultural events.
- Wellington Horticultural Society — wellingtonhort.org.nz
- Hutt Valley Horticultural Society — hvhort.org.nz
- Kapiti Garden Club — check local community directories for meeting details.
South Island
Nelson-Tasman & Marlborough
- Nelson Garden Club — general horticultural society.
- Motueka Garden Club — Tasman district.
- Marlborough Horticultural Society — Blenheim and wider region.
Canterbury & Otago
- Christchurch Garden Club — christchurchgardenclub.org.nz
- Dunedin Horticultural Society — dunedin-hort.org.nz
- Ashburton, Timaru, Wanaka & Queenstown — district garden clubs; search Citizens Advice Bureau community directory by town.
Southland
- Invercargill Garden Club and Gore Garden Club — contact via local council community listings or Facebook.
National & specialist societies
Many national bodies have regional branches. Start with the national site to find your nearest group.
| Organisation | Focus | Website |
|---|---|---|
| Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture (RNZIH) | Professional & amateur horticulture | rnzih.org.nz |
| New Zealand Gardens Trust | Gardens to visit, heritage | gardenstrust.nz |
| NZ Rose Society | Roses, regional branches | nzroses.org.nz |
| NZ Camellia Society | Camellias | camellia.org.nz |
| NZ Rhododendron Association | Rhododendrons | rhododendron.org.nz |
| NZ Alpine Garden Society | Alpine & rock plants | nzags.com |
| NZ Iris Society | Iris varieties | nziris.org.nz |
| NZ Tree Crops Association | Fruit, nut & useful trees | treecrops.org.nz |
| Floral Art Society of NZ | Floral design groups | fasnz.org.nz |
| NZ Plant Conservation Network | Native plant conservation | nzpcn.org.nz |
| Herb Federation of NZ | Herb societies | herbs.org.nz |
Community gardens & volunteering
Community gardens are often the easiest way to learn hands-on — especially if you rent or are new to an area. Read our overview of community gardens in New Zealand.
- Whangarei Community Gardens — workshops and shared produce.
- Grandview Community Garden (Hamilton) — see Waikato section above.
- Good Neighbour (Tauranga) — goodneighbour.co.nz
- Whakatāne Community Gardens — see Bay of Plenty section above.
- Volunteering NZ regional hubs — search gardening roles at Volunteering Northland, Volunteering Waikato and Volunteering Hawke’s Bay.
How to find a club near you
- Search “garden club [your town]” on Facebook — many NZ clubs run active groups there.
- Check the Citizens Advice Bureau community directory for your area.
- Ask at a local nursery, library or farmers’ market — staff often know the active groups.
- Visit a public garden (Hamilton Gardens, Quarry Gardens, The Elms) and ask about member clubs or volunteer days.
Planning what to grow at home? Use our free NZ grower tools — planting calendars, companion planting and food-forest planners.
FAQ
What is the main garden club organisation in Auckland?
The Auckland Horticultural Council lists affiliated clubs and hosts events at the Auckland Horticultural Centre in Western Springs.
Are there garden clubs in the Bay of Plenty?
Yes — orchid, rose, iris and general garden circles in Tauranga, Papamoa, Whakatāne and Katikati, plus community gardens and food-forest networks. See the Bay of Plenty section above.
How do I join a specialist society for roses or tree crops?
Visit the national website (NZ Rose Society, NZ Tree Crops Association, etc.) and follow links to your regional branch.
Know a club or community garden we should add? Comment with the name, region and a working website or Facebook link — we update this directory over time.