275:, 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 donated the land. In 1952 a further 163 acres (0.66 km) was given to the Trust anonymously. 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 km), holding 2,000 different specimen of rhododendrons and membership has reached 3,000.
74:, New Zealand at 8 September 1879 and started working as an accountant with the Bank of New Zealand. Jessie arrived 19 August 1881. They married three weeks later. The first son John Arthur was born 9 September 1882. The family changed home often. At 28 October 1884 Douglas was born in New Plymouth. A daughter named Sheila Mary Melot was born in Auckland at 25 December 1891.
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of trees and shrubs. In the early years after his arrival at
Ngatapa, the farm was substantially enlarged. But in later years he sold parts of the property again, to gain money for buying trees. In 1965 Douglas Cook sold Eastwoodhill to H. B. (Bill) Williams, who bought the arboretum with the purpose
239:
William
Douglas Cook might be called "a passionate man, not because of his somewhat mercurial personal relationships, but he certainly showed an undeviating passion for planting trees over a lifetime". His passion really took form after he took possession of the 260 ha property of Eastwoodhill in
227:
Douglas Cook wrote, in 1963: "I never was a farmer. That was only a means of living in the country and being my own boss. I never could stand taking orders and loved roaming the hills". He spend most of his money on plants, rather than investing it in his farm. And apart from that he was a
173:
of Kew gave him) he started creating his own park. Now that he had learned to admire the beauty of trees, he started planting on a large scale. For instance in 1920 about 2,500 trees and shrubs were ordered for the garden. Bulbs and perennials were ordered too, including
246:
After the second World War there was another impetus to
Douglas Cook for collecting as much different trees as possible at Eastwoodhill. He was afraid that Europe would be destroyed in a new (nuclear) war and saw his plantings as a repository for good garden material.
146:) for firewood, and 1-acre (4,000 m) of mixed orchard including apple, pear and plum trees for household use". He built a small cabin to live in. This was replaced by a larger dwelling in 1914. In that same year he left for voluntary service in
250:
Mortimer states that there "is a fair amount of information about what he bought (...), but not much about where he put them or what their fate was. He was essentially a collector (and a muddler), buying one of everything he hadn't got".
214:
In 1952, Douglas Cook, then being 71 years old, sold 925 acres (3.74 km) of his property. The money was used for making ponds throughout the arboretum and for the development of "Pear Park", "The Circus", "Orchard Hill" and "Glen
628:. This book contains a collection of photographs by Gisborne Camera Club Inc. Design and Production by Gray Clapham. Photographic co-ordination: Stephen Jones. Introductory essay: Sheridan Gundry. Botanical descriptions: Paul Wynen.
89:, who would play such an important role in the history of Eastwoodhill 60 years later. Douglas had bad luck. Two times frost destroyed most of the crops. He had to find another job. In a ballot he acquired a part of the
283:
William
Douglas Cook was a prolific writer of letters. He also published a number of articles in gardening journals and year books etc. In the period 1948–1951 he published quite a few articles on Eastwoodhill in the
219:
At the end of his life, Douglas Cook had established an arboretum of international importance. Since then, new plantings contributed to what now has become the
National Arboretum of New Zealand.
271:. 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 km) of land called
165:. In France he lost the sight of his right eye in 1916. He spent some time in England to recuperate. During that time he visited some beautiful gardens, especially the
123:
William
Douglas Cook married Claire Bourne at 20 October 1930. They adopted a son, named Sholto. The marriage did not succeed and Douglas and Claire separated in 1937.
134:
When
Douglas Cook arrived at his newly bought land in 1910, he started planting immediately. In this first plantings "he followed a utilitarian approach – some mixed
86:
712:
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1910. "After just six weeks a garden was shaping up, and by the end of the first year he had filled sixteen pages of his notebook with details of plantings".
150:. Just before his departure an order of a hundred trees and shrubs and a hundred rhododendrons and azaleas arrived and it was a rush to get these planted.
236:, who got involved in the development of Eastwoodhill in the 1950s (and still is involved in it up till now) remembers his "puckish sense of humour".
267:. He knew that rhododendrons flourished in that region. He and Russell Matthews grasped the idea of creating a rhododendron garden at the slopes of
93:
settlement, 620 acres (2.5 km) large. He called his new property "Eastwoodhill", after the house where his mother grew up near
Glasgow.
313:
613:. Publ. by Pukeiti Rhododendron Trust, New Plymouth 1976 (with articles contributed by A. Jellyman, R. Hair, A. Smith and L. Bublitz).
727:
707:
453:
Editorial introduction to an article by Cook in the New
Zealand Gardener Magazine of 1 January 1948, as cited by Berry 1997, p. 62
667:
Smith, Graham – Pukeiti, the
Rainforest Garden (with photographs by Jane Dove Juneau). South Pacific Light Press, Oakura 2007.
625:
426:
As an editor described him in a foreword to an article by Douglas Cook in "New Zealand Gardener" magazine of 1 January 1948
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Cook went back to Britain again in 1922 and 1924, to get new inspiration for his dream of establishing a park of his own.
113:
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Douglas had a difficult relation with his father and left home when he was 17 years old to go working as a "cowboy" in
85:. The money he needed he borrowed from his father. He bought the orchard of James Nelson Williams, the grandfather of
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672:
640:
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Cook died in 1967, at the age of 83 years, a "plantsman with the soul of a poet and the vision of a philosopher".
717:
702:
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garden, close to New Plymouth. He was a "plantsman with the soul of a poet and the vision of a philosopher".
722:
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He would live there all the rest of his life, and create a large arboretum, with more than 2,000 different
320:
291:
169:. After returning to New Zealand in 1917 (with a plant of both the red and variegated cabbage tree, that
649:. Publ. as a leaflet "Eastwoodhill Information Series No. 1" by Eastwoodhill Trust Board, Gisborne 1992
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1948a: "Development of 'Eastwoodhill', one of New Zealand's Outstanding Private Gardens". In:
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263:, and "rhodos" didn't fare well at Eastwoodhill, in the late 1940s. That brought him back to
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In the subsequent years plantings continued. The garden was extended. From 1927 onward, when
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354:, 1 July 1948, p. 743; and "two small trees of N. sylvatica on offer (by WDC), p. 753.
295:, as well as some articles on different topics. In 1960 and 1964 he published articles on
8:
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1951a: "A Plantsman's Garden – Unique Horticultural Collection at Lindisfarne". In:
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323:(of the U.K.), recognition of his efforts over 45 years for service to horticulture.
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109:
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23:
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Gundry, Sheridan – The colourful story of Eastwoodhill, in: An 2007, p. 10
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1949: "A New Zealand Garden, 'Eastwoodhill', Gisborne, North Island". In:
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1948b: "Trees for the Farm – Why Not Get Away from the Commonplace?" In:
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27:
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1950b: "Eastwoodhill in Autumn – Trees and Shrubs of Real Beauty". In:
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1950a: "The Glories of Autumn – Colour Parade at Eastwoodhill". In:
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81:. One year later he bought a peach orchard in the neighbourhood of
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63:
59:
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1951b: "A Plantsman's Garden – The Lindisfarne Collection". In:
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361:, Vol. LXXIV, Part 5, May 1949, pp. 183–192 (+ 3 photos)
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1963: letter of 1 January 1963. Posthumously published in:
232:, and used to work only in a pair of boots and a sun hat.
558:
Berry 1997, p. 34; Jellyman a.o. 1976, p. 7 states 1951
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In 1927 the first plantings of "Corner Park" were made.
652:
Mortimer, John (1997) – 'A Magnificent Obsession' in:
620:. Publ. by Eastwoodhill Inc., Ngatapa, Gisborne 2007.
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1948c: "Nyssa sylvatica – For Autumnal Colours". In:
635:. Publ. by Eastwoodhill Trust Board, Gisborne 1997.
197:got engaged, the creation of the "Parks" started:
58:Douglas Cook was the second son of William Cook (
34:, New Zealand, 27 April 1967) was the founder of
679:
609:Jellyman, A, R. Hair, A. Smith and L. Bublitz –
359:The Journal of the Royal Horticultural Society
153:In the First World War Douglas Cook served in
713:New Zealand military personnel of World War I
633:A Man's Tall Dream; The Story of Eastwoodhill
518:
516:
470:
468:
211:"Douglas Park" was included in the plantings.
108:Cook fought in Asia, Africa and Europe as a
525:
495:
314:Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture
42:of New Zealand, and one of the founders of
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513:
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392:1960: "Rhododendrons in New Zealand". In:
618:Eastwoodhill, the colours of an arboretum
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222:
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326:1966: Associate of Honour of the RNZIH.
301:The Rhododendron and Camellia Year Book
680:
561:
477:
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319:1965: Veitch Memorial Medal from the
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70:, Scotland 1853). William arrived in
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408:Rhododendron and Camellia Year Book
394:Rhododendron and Camellia Year Book
204:From 1934 "Cabin Park" was planted.
13:
382:, 1 February 1951, pp. 472–4.
14:
739:
647:The Story of William Douglas Cook
299:in New Zealand and on Pukeiti in
728:Veitch Memorial Medal recipients
708:20th-century New Zealand farmers
401:Eastwoodhill Information Series
389:, 1 March 1951, pp. 526–8.
368:, 1 May 1950, pp. 664–667.
347:, 1 May 1948, pp. 540–542.
259:Douglas Cook had a passion for
129:
101:to preserve it for the future.
501:cited by Clapperton 1992, p. 2
375:, 1 July 1950, pp. 848–9.
1:
664:. April 1997, pp. 45–51
603:
120:in the N.Z. Field Artillery.
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167:Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew
53:
7:
321:Royal Horticultural Society
292:Royal Horticultural Society
10:
744:
254:
654:New Zealand Growing Today
522:Mortimer 1997, p. 46
278:
114:Wellington Mounted Rifles
66:1855) and Jessie Miller (
698:People from New Plymouth
579:Jellyman a.o. 1976, p. 5
656:, Kumeu, New Zealand,
410:1964, pp. 21– 26.
406:1964: "Pukeiti". In:
223:Not an ordinary farmer
36:Eastwoodhill Arboretum
718:New Zealand naturists
703:New Zealand gardeners
597:Berry 1997, p. 61, 63
531:Clapperton 1992, p. 5
474:Clapperton 1992, p. 2
444:Clapperton 1992, p. 3
331:Selected bibliography
87:H. B. (Bill) Williams
645:Clapperton, Gerry –
549:Mortimer 1997, p. 47
396:1960, pp. 54–59
387:New Zealand Gardener
380:New Zealand Gardener
373:New Zealand Gardener
366:New Zealand Gardener
352:New Zealand Gardener
345:New Zealand Gardener
338:New Zealand Gardener
312:1948: Fellow of the
286:New Zealand Gardener
30:, 28 October 1884 –
20:William Douglas Cook
723:New Zealand writers
290:The Journal of the
171:Arthur William Hill
38:, now the national
611:A Guide to Pukeiti
540:Berry 1997, p. 31f
307:Honours and awards
79:Hawke's Bay region
16:New Zealand writer
626:978-0-473-12471-7
588:Berry 1997, p. 63
510:Berry 1997, p. 72
483:Berry 1997, p. 15
435:Berry 1997, p. 11
340:, 1 January 1948.
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269:Mt. Taranaki
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209:World War II
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130:Eastwoodhill
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48:rhododendron
24:New Plymouth
19:
18:
693:1967 deaths
688:1884 births
288:and one in
195:Bill Crooks
148:World War I
106:World War I
28:New Zealand
682:Categories
604:Literature
136:eucalyptus
662:1171-7033
415:Footnotes
234:Bob Berry
215:Douglas".
180:hyacinths
155:Gallipoli
116:and as a
54:Biography
40:arboretum
316:(RNZIH).
265:Taranaki
188:gladioli
83:Hastings
72:Auckland
64:Scotland
60:Aberdeen
32:Gisborne
273:Pukeiti
255:Pukeiti
112:of the
110:trooper
104:During
91:Ngatapa
68:Glasgow
44:Pukeiti
671:
660:
639:
624:
616:An. –
279:Writer
230:nudist
184:lilies
176:tulips
163:France
118:gunner
159:Egypt
669:ISBN
658:ISSN
637:ISBN
622:ISBN
186:and
161:and
138:and
98:taxa
46:, a
684::
563:^
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182:,
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142:(
22:(
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