Nine years ago Dan and Sue Hughes embarked on a journey to turn a quarter acre of flat lawn into distinct outdoor spaces each with a purpose.

The name says it all…the sweet life. This large semi-rural garden on the outskirts of Masterton unfolds before your eyes and is a peaceful haven for its owners of five years, Ruth and Ross Eggers.

When Pam and her husband Carl arrived from the UK 14 years ago to Masterton, they swapped their cottage garden for a quarter-acre urban grassed section on the flat. Inspired by English Gardens, and pioneer designer Gertrude Jekyll, the Torringtons set to creating a series of rooms to bring a little bit of England closer to home.

No stranger to garden tours, Penelope and Tim Bunny enjoy visiting beautiful gardens as much as tending their own near the rural township of Tauweru.

A returning favourite, Evesham has been a 20-year journey for Grant and Vicky Harper. From a bare paddock, Grant designed Evesham from scratch – aiming to recreate an English country beauty to remind him of its namesake in the Cotswolds.

Braemore Farm Garden is an expansive, meandering country beauty. It begins with half a hectare of cottage garden surrounding the house and leads through open park-like green space with specimen trees – perfect to picnic beneath. Follow the paths out into the gully where there are rhododendrons-a-plenty.

The Holbrook family have bold plans to convert their 2.46 hectare farmland paddocks into an organic food forest and flower farm. Planting began in earnest in 2016 with visionary Heidi at the helm.

Over 35 years Awariki (little river) has evolved from an old farm cottage into a family home and ornamental garden with stunning specimen trees. Paper birches line the driveway of David and Lesley Marsh’s five-hectare lifestyle block.

Fourteen years ago Phil Keinzley had a vision to turn four hectares of farmland into a native tree garden to bring the birds, insects and eels to his land.

Over 19 years Brett Harman has channelled his creativity into a unique one and a quarter acre section on the edge of Carterton. His gardening and house-building journey were recognised nationally when he won the TV competition ‘My house My Castle’ in 2004.

This small 800 square metre garden packs a punch. Though small in area, it’s grand in stature and finds space for a series of themed rooms ranging in style from colonial to contemporary.

Casita Flora is a stunning example of bold, structural plantings. Owner Juliet Guerrero says when it comes to her gardening style, ‘diversity is what she’s all about.’