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Hammond Camellia Garden
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The Hammond Camellia Garden tells the story of the discovery and development of the Camellia genus, which is one of the most popular ornamental plants in New Zealand gardens. There are two sections: the round lawn is fringed with popular cultivars, while the borders between the round lawn and the carpark are planted with species Camellias. On the southern edge of the round lawn is a lookout with views across Turtle Lake, over the Pavilion and beyond to Mt Pirongia. | |  |
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BackgroundCamellias are native to East Asia and began to be introduced to the West in the early 1700s. Linnaeus named the genus in honor of George Joseph Kamel, a Jesuit missionary to the Philippines. The most famous member of the genus is probably the tea plant (C. sinensis). The tender growing tips of this species are picked and dried or cured to produce tea. The commercial scale of tea growing is vast: over 4 billion tonnes is picked worldwide every year. Most ornamental varieties are bred from C. japonica, C. sasanqua and C. reticulata. Notable species in the Hammond Camellia Garden include the fascinating yellow C. impressinervis. | HistoryThe Camellia Garden was established in 1982, and named after Hubert Hammond MBE (above), in honor of his contribution to the Camellia community and to the city of Hamilton. The garden was developed by a partnership between Hamilton City Council and the Waikato Camellia Society, with many of the original plants donated by members of the Society. |
