About Us

Hi! We are a husband-and-wife team whose combined interest is in gardens. Denis is a professional photographer and an artist, whose skill can be seen in many of the images on the site and paintings in our garden gallery. Jillian is the writer. We have authored many garden books and magazine articles together over the past decade or so, and have a 2-hectare (5-acre) mature woodland garden of our own (see Friars Glencolyn Garden in the North Island listings) with accommodation available in it..

Until recently we owned and authored the successful Friars Guide to New Zealand Accommodation for the Discerning Traveller. We have been visiting, photographing and writing about the vast range of New Zealand gardens open to visit for the past 16 years.

We have 4 children and 4 grandchildren and live on our 45-year-old woodland garden at Kimbolton, Manawatu, in our new eco-friendly house.

Denis with youngest grandchild, Carlos, in our garden.	Jillian with youngest grandson, Carlos, and daughter, Joy, in our garden.