Palmy days

UDO LAMMERTING KNOWS ALL ABOUT wise investments. The tall, impeccably groomed German owns a number of large commercial complexes and hotels in his home country. One of his tenants is Mercedes-Benz, which explains why he’s always offered a courtesy car whenever he is in New Zealand – or any country for that matter. The luxury-car company leases a building in a three-hectare business park in Cologne that Udo’s company owns. So when Udo and his author wife Kristin bought Palmco, the award-winning palm garden centre in Kerikeri, they knew they were investing wisely in a land bank, in more ways than one.

Both are serious garden lovers. They have a hectare, based on the great gardens of England, smack in the centre of Cologne, a city of one million people. But, much as they love their home, they prefer to escape the bleaker winter months. They head to their holiday house in Spain at times, but that can be very hot. Wanting to become New Zealand residents, they were expected to make a business investment here to prove their commitment. So in 2005, rather than choosing something passive, they bought the garden that specialized in mature palms and subtropical plants. Since then it’s become famous. At the 2007 Ellerslie International Flower Show their display took out the title of supreme winner in the retail section. And, following a major transformation of the display gardens, minutes from the Kerikeri airport, Palmco has now been awarded the status of Garden of National Significance by the New Zealand Gardens Trust.

The Lammertings have big plans for the 25-hectare property which is home to some of the best palm specimens in the country. They recently acquired the next-door five-hectare block to plant more palms and trees. The display gardens, planted 21 years ago, will be marketed as a venue for weddings and other functions. In time the couple intends to add a small chapel at the end of a palm-lined path. Themed gardens off the central walkway provide magical settings for memories. Kristin’s favourite is the fire pit, where large volcanic rocks that heat up in the sun during the day surround an outdoor fire. The previously swampy area has been replaced with a dry river-bed that leads to a jetty, the perfect spot for wedding snaps. Angled palms create a “welcoming gate” and add a South Pacific feel. “It is wonderful here how with palms you can have your own Fiji,” says Kristin. “It always feels like a vacation.”

Kristin was closely involved in the revamp of the gardens but it was Palmco’s landscape manager, Adam Shuter, who drew up the innovative design that impressed the judges. It was also Adam who put together a plan to take Palmco to the Ellerslie International Flower Show. The couple was supportive right from the start and the exposure from the win was huge for the company. “It made my career, to be honest,” says Adam. He feels even more chuffed about the new award.

Udo and Kristin flew him to the Chelsea Flower Show last year as a thank-you. The Tauranga-born landscaper also spent time with his employers in Cologne and found out just how well respected Kristin is among the gardening fraternity. The Lammertings’ garden is recognized as one of the best in Germany. The 15-year project to create their “englischer garten” with its 13 themed rooms is recorded in a book written by Kristin. The couple spends a week in England each year visiting an average of 20 gardens each time. “I don’t bother with churches or castles, just gardens,” says Kristin. She also flies to the Chelsea Flower Show every year.

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