Ann Endt by Ann Chapman
1910 – 1991
Ann Endt was born in South Africa and immigrated to Holland when she was three. Her family had an orchard, growing and canning fruit. She came to New Zealand in 1951 with three children and memories of deprivation in occupied Holland, including the German army crushing their orchard. She learnt the art of landscaping and used this knowledge to create gardens in both Holland and New Zealand. She was passionate about gardening and particularly about roses. Her garden in Holland was as legendary as her garden in New Zealand.
On her arrival in Oratia, New Zealand, she created a peaceful haven for her family. Her garden, Schuylenburg, (secret or hidden place) was a signature garden for the old rose movement, crammed with surprises, sweeping lawns, trees, magnolias, pergolas, pillars and fences. Roses dropped and drooped from everything. Her advice to new gardeners was to design from the back, to get the backdrop right to frame the garden. She planted to create interest, light and shade, of differing foliage and visual surprises. She mass planted to create peace and harmony rather than the restless polka dot appearance of single examples. She even planted roses around her husband’s garden! “But don’t you agree,” she said, “a much more charming vegie garden and much more romantic”. Her garden was modelled on the Rudolf Steiner principles of no dig.
She was a passionate collector of plants and friend and compatriot of the legendary Nancy Steen (see separate story) who respected her ability to propagate roses. Ann generously said she owed her knowledge and love for gardening to Nancy but her skill had developed long before she worked with Nancy. Her granddaughter Carolyn remembers her as the perfect grandmother, “making flower cards, collecting bird’s nests, and fairies definitely lived at the bottom of the garden”. She was made a life member of both the Royal NZ Institute of Horticulture and of Heritage Roses NZ in honour of her work and in recognition of her generosity to the gardeners of New Zealand. see also article on Nancy Steen.
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