Buxton design highly desirable

A draper, a limemaker and a group of Catholic sisters don’t appear to have anything in common, but in the early 20th century all three were united in their desire to have a ‘‘Buxton garden’’, reports  Clare Gleeson, who has recently released her book  The Fairer Side Of Buxton.

From 1900 to the 1940s, Alfred Buxton created over 350 gardens in New Zealand.

Although his business was based in Christchurch, Buxton undertook commissions throughout the South Island and as far as Gisborne in the North Island. Buxton’s company not only designed and implemented the plans, but also supplied all the plants for the gardens from his Christchurch nursery.

Initially Buxton’s clients were sheep farmers, revelling in the wool boom, but soon many outside the rural community wanted a Buxton garden. Three still exist in North Otago today.

Buxton’s designs had several trademark features. The impressive entrance to a property set the scene for the spectacular garden and home within. The sweep of the driveway was planned to ensure the visitor’s first sighting of the homestead gave the greatest impact.

Buxton planted exotic trees throughout the grounds to give seasonal interest and a plantation around the perimeter to provide shelter. The grounds included extensive flower beds, massed planting of bulbs, sunken rose gardens and flowering shrubs.

A Japanese influence could be seen in ponds filled with water lilies and crossed by rustic bridges with plantings of irises nearby. Many gardens had a substantial rockery and gardens frequently included one or more of a fernery, glasshouse, summerhouse, tennis court and croquet lawn.

Pen-y-bryn

Pen-y-bryn, an Elizabethan style mansion in Oamaru, was built for successful draper John Bulleid and his wife, Fanny. Alfred Buxton was commissioned to develop the grounds of 4.5 acres (1.8ha) around 1910.

Buxton’s plan included English trees, flowering shrubs, lawns, flower borders, rose walks, a tennis lawn, sunken rock gardens and pergolas. There was a willow-rimmed pond, one of many with water lilies, as well as impressive wrought-iron gates at the beginning of the driveway. Roses were a particular love of Fanny’s and the garden’s magnificent stone pergola was wreathed in them.

The property has since been subdivided and the beautiful pergola and impressive gateway are now in adjoining properties. Several of Buxton’s specimen trees, including a huge weeping elm, two oaks and a copper beech, survive.

Today, James Boussy and James Gluckman run the mansion as luxury accommodation and continue to develop the garden.

Rocklands

The garden at Rocklands, Totara, was designed around 1915 for Sophia McDonald, who ran the Totara Lime Kiln Company with the support of her sister, Ann. Sophia turned the family company into a highly successful business that had its own branch line and trains to take lime from its kilns to the Totara railway station.

The commission was in Sophia’s name, but it seems Ann was the keen gardener, although she may not have tilled the soil herself, as the sisters had two gardeners, a housekeeper, maid, chauffeur and farm manager.

Much of the structure of the garden Buxton designed at Rocklands is still apparent today, although another storey has been added to the house.

The entrance to the driveway has a pair of trees on either side which have met to provide an archway for visitors to drive through. The placing of the drive shields the house from view until it can be seen at the moment of greatest impact.

Many of Buxton’s specimen trees have survived and the restored rockery is still at the front of the house. Rocks were also used in the edging up the drive, along paths, around flower beds and for a flight of steps that descends from the large lawn to a lower level. Rocklands was aptly named.

St Patrick’s

Alfred Buxton carried out work at St Patrick’s at Totara over a period of many years. St Patrick’s was run by the Dominican Congregation of Sisters, who were gifted the homestead and 25 acres (10.1ha) of land in 1911. The Community of six Sisters opened a Catholic boarding school for girls a year later. In 1915, the foundation stone for a chapel was laid and Buxton, who was  already undertaking work on the school’s grounds, provided a floral harp from his floristry business for the ceremony.

Buxton’s plan for the school’s 6 acres (2.4ha) of grounds included flower beds, flowering shrubs, large, flat areas of lawn and many exotic trees, including a monkey puzzle tree. The grounds provided lots of opportunities for physical activity as well as play. In addition to a tennis court, basketball court and cricket pitch there were trees to clamber up, although the nuns frowned 
on tree climbing.

In 1922, the foundation stone for the new school building was laid and Buxton was commissioned to undertake more work on the grounds. An important addition to St Patrick’s grounds was the grotto, and although it does not appear on the 1922 plan, it has all the trademarks of Buxton’s hand.

The grotto, which was known as the Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes, became the focal point of the school grounds and was treasured by the nuns. On March 15, the Feast Day for Our Lady, the entire school would stand outside it and sing hymns. The grotto was used for worship and must also have been a wonderful place for the girls of St Patrick’s to play. 

St Patrick’s closed in 1977 and today Teschemakers is a conference centre and resort. Several of Buxton’s magnificent trees remain and the grotto is still intact.

Although it is now over 100 years since Buxton’s plans were commissioned, his contribution to the landscape of North Otago can still be seen in these three magnificent gardens.

The Book

The Fairer Side of Buxton. Alfred Buxton's Gardens and the Women who Loved Them.

Clare Geeson.

The Cuba Press.