The Cranford gardeners

If you get a chance to walk around the Joan Fernie Gardens and Arboretum at Chesterhope — the site-in waiting for the new Cranford Hospice — you’ll see many of the trees carefully named in both Latin and English.

This is the work of Theo Rood, a long-time HB nurseryman, who originally trained in horticulture in his native Holland and then worked for many years for Anderson’s Nurseries. Theo and his daughter Cath Eldridge are the leaders of a small group of volunteers who are helping to maintain and care for the huge 16-acre Chesterhope gardens until the new build goes ahead — and even then they will continue to be involved.

One of Theo’s self-appointed jobs at Chesterhope has been to take apart a set of venetian blinds he had at home and cut them to the size of tree labels. These are named using a black marker pen and then hammered onto the trees. 

“For example that’s Celery Pine,” he says pointing to a tree in the distance. “They don’t usually grow this high above sea level.” The tree’s Latin name Phyllocladus Alpinus is written underneath the common name when I get up close.

We pass beneath a huge oak tree.  It’s sign reads Oak Quercus Var. Another bushy plant is labelled Malvaviscus Arboreus. A type of hibiscus, says Theo.

There are so many magnificent trees in the Joan Fernie Gardens, some dating back as far as 1864 – some natives such as rimu, kauri, matai, totara; others exotics such as towering redwoods, numerous American Plane Trees, macrocarpa; and in the orchard for example, custard apples from South America.  

“There’s a magic feel to this property,” says Theo who still has many labels to make and trees to name.

For both Theo, who is nearly 82-years-old, and Cath it is a privilege to work in the gardens for an organisation that helped them so much when Cath’s husband Chris died, aged 60,  in 2018, and Theo’s wife, and Cath’s mum, Janice, in 2019.

 Chris was first diagnosed with cancer in February 2012 and after treatment and surgery was in remission for two years. On the 25 January 2014, after struggling with headaches on a family holiday in England, it was confirmed the cancer was back.

“Our first contact with Cranford was in 2014,” says Cath, “but we didn’t need their help until the beginning of 2018. Chris and I started volunteering in the hospice’s [Knight Street] garden in September 2017 so he had something productive to do and to form a connection with hospice. By volunteering, it took away the fear of actually coming into the hospice, because you know so many people already.

“Volunteering in the gardens absolutely saved me – it gave me a focus.”

When Chris’ health meant he could no longer volunteer in the gardens, Cath’s father Theo started volunteering too and then Theo’s wife Janice got sick. In both cases the Cranford hospice nurses helped keep their loved ones home for as long as possible.

“They are angels,” Theo says of the Cranford nurses.

For Cath, who also volunteers in the hospice shop and at Cranford’s Knight Street garden, working at the Chesterhope property makes her feel close to her husband even though he never visited.

“Every time I come to Chesterhope I get this wonderful sense of peace,” says Cath.

She and Theo have spent hours digging up thousands of bulbs and plants around the property and transporting them to a nursery they have created under the original berry cage. The plan is to save as much of the original plants and bulbs as possible “in keeping with Joan’s philosophy of preserving and taking original plants forward for the future”.

“It’s just fantastic here,” says Theo, who is working less now as his health declines.

Both father and daughter would be keen to see more volunteer help in the gardens.

“We need people who are prepared to come and get on their hands and knees and weed,” says Cath. 

“Volunteers who will muck in and do anything.”

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