Sanders Avenue

When Charles Score Sanders died on 1 June 1933 his legacy included gifts to the city of Sanders Park and the Rhododendron Dell at Pukekura Park. He had established the Ngaere Gardens and was to give his name to Sanders Avenue in the suburb of Westown, New Plymouth.

These gifts reflect Charles' sense of generosity and love of nature. The correspondence in the newspaper at the time referred to Charles "as one of the best natured fellows in Taranaki - for a bachelor" and his obituary claims that "although unmarried he kept a most hospitable home and was an excellent housekeeper".

Charles started work on the Ngaere Gardens in 1881 after travelling north from his family home in Nelson. He was known to put in sixteen-hour days working late into the night by the light of a lantern. In 1890 Charles leased out his thriving garden to the local Presbyterian parson and travelled to America with his friend Mr Arthur Walker. It was on this journey that he collected cuttings of many plants, including the rhododendrons that were to become his speciality. In 1906 he subdivided the garden with Arthur taking 43 acres, 10 being sold and Charles keeping five acres as a garden and nursery.

In 1912 he left the nursery and came to New Plymouth where he transformed his one acre of the Dartmoor estate into another flourishing and much visited garden. A waratah he grew was said to be finer than anything grown in its native habitat of Australia.

Charles never saw his name over the street outside of his homestead, as the section of Belt Road was renamed in his honour after his death. I can't imagine this industrious New Plymouth gentleman would have looked up from his garden to dwell for long upon the sign. Charlie had two creeds he lived by: 'Hard work and plenty of it' and 'Enjoy what you do'.

This story was originally published in the Taranaki Daily News.