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About Trinity Farm
by Lloyd
Chapman
In 1990 Ann & Lloyd
Chapman bought 10 acres and a ruined house in the foothills of Otaki,
an hour’s drive north of Wellington.
Now the 100 year old restored
farmhouse sits amidst one of the biggest collection of old roses in
the country. Numerically there’s over 1,300 roses, but the
number continues to grow alarmingly, because the Chapmans are old rose
collectors.
Lloyd inherited his love for
old roses from his mother.
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His passion for ramblers,
particularly the glossy-leaved Barbier ramblers that festoon ropes,
poles, fences, pergolas and treillises.
In 1999 Lloyd spent time in
France researching rambling roses and believes he has one of the
biggest collections of rambling roses outside l'Haye and Sangerhausen.
Trinity Farm’s collections
also include the traditional old garden roses, Albas, Damasks &
Gallicas as well as Species, Rugosas and the Hybrid Musk family of
20th century roses.
The Otago Goldfields collection
is a set of roses rescued by Lloyd’s mother from the old town of
Cromwell before it was flooded. |
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Recently the
Ken Nobbs collection of thornless ramblers has been planted.
They are displayed in the
three acre garden, in family groups, which allows easy comparative
study for serious rose enthusiasts. |
Roses survive the spray-free
organic regime that the Chapmans prefer, which is a tribute to the
hardiness of the old rose families.
As well as the rose garden,
Trinity Farm has a small nursery offering old roses on their own
roots, which is widely accepted as the preferred propagation method
for old roses.
Roses are supplied in bags of
potting mix, sold year-round at the nursery, or sent by courier. A
catalogue of roses is available on request.
The
Otago Goldfields Collection
Lloyd & Ann Chapman
collect roses from all sorts of unlikely places. Many friends
continue to donate old favourites to the collection, and the nursery
has a special corner of 'unknowns' awaiting identification.
The Goldfields collection (as
featured in a recent NZ Gardener) is a bit special.
These roses mostly collected
by Lloyd's mother, came from the old town of Cromwell, which is now
under Lake Dunstan. Cromwell was the scene of one of New
Zealand's earliest and biggest gold rushes 150 years ago.
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Miners flocked
from distant goldfields to take part in the rich pickings.
They travelled
light but still apparently managed to bring roses with them.
We surmise
that many came as seeds, thus may not be true to variety, but may
still be quite unique.
The collection
now comprises 11 roses. Names are chosen to reflect the places they
were collected from |
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'Annan's
Orchard' |
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Annan's Orchard Tall Moss
rose, Magenta blooms that age to purple
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Cromwell School Bush. Red
blooms with some white flecks. Shiny foliage, recurrent. Probably
early 20th century, but quite unique.
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Chinatown Moss Shrub. Single
crimson blooms, yellow stamens, unusual pink juvenile thorns
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Cromwell Rose
Shrub. Flat swirling deep strong pink blooms, intensely fragrant.
An unusual old
rose, probably a Centifolia
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Lowburn Rose
Bush. Deep bright pink. Fragrant |
'Cromwell Rose' |
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Melmore Terrace Shrub.
Sempervirens family, thin canes, small white pompom blooms. Not
vigorous enough to be Felicite & Perpetue, nor small enough to be
Little White Pet.
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Miners Cottage Bush,
mid-green foliage cerise blooms
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Naseby Rose Arching shrub,
purple blooms early in spring , Gallica foliage
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Nevis Moss Bush. Swirling
mid-pink blooms
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Old Red Bush. Crimson
semi-double blooms,light green foliage
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Old Stone School Shrub of
great quality, quite unusual. Flat single pink blooms in clusters
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'Cromwell School' |
The collection is unique,
representing roses that grew in the old town of Cromwell over 50
years ago. They represent a link with our past, and an historic town
that is no longer.
To get there :
Trinity Farm is 2km off State
Highway 1,just North of Otaki, 1 hour from Wellington.
Trinity Farm
Waitohu Valley Road, Otaki, New Zealand
Phone & fax: (06)364 6193
Website : Trinity
Farm
email: trinity.farm@xtra.co.nz
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