William Douglas Cook - Pukeiti

Pukeiti

Douglas Cook had a passion for rhododendrons, and "rhodos" didn't fare well at Eastwoodhill, in the late 1940s. That brought him back to Taranaki. He knew that rhododendrons flourished in that region. He and Russell Matthews grasped the idea of creating a rhododendron garden at the slopes of Mt. Taranaki. In March 1950 they found a good spot at a good height above sea level, and with enough rainfall throughout the year. Douglas Cook bought the 153 acres (0.62 km2) of land called Pukeiti, and offered the site to the New Zealand Rhododendron Association. Having a lack of finances, this organisation declined his offer. In October 1951 he formed The Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust (by then a group of 24 like-minded people), to which he gifted the land. In 1952 a further 163 acres (0.66 km2) was gifted anonymously to the Trust. Membership of the Trust grew steadily, volunteers worked, donations of money, plants and materials flowed in, and Pukeiti, as the gardens have become known, flourished. The gardens now cover 900 acres (3.6 km2), holding 2,000 different specimen of rhododendrons and membership has reached 3,000.