WELTON HOUSE, MARLBOROUGH
High on an ancient dune above the Wairau Valley, something quietly extraordinary is waiting
Two lifetimes in the making —
& the best of it still unfolding
Looking out across the Richmond Ranges with a clarity that surprises every first-time visitor — Welton House still stops Wendy Palmer on a clear morning.
Five acres of garden surrounds the 1901 homestead, spilling into 100 acres of vineyard & regenerating native forest alive with returning birds.
Shaped over two decades by Wendy and her brother Ross Palmer — an internationally regarded garden designer — every corner of this place carries the weight of considered thought, seasonal change, and genuine care for the land.
A visit to Welton House is a visit you’ll carry home long after you leave.
"This is one of the most interesting and exciting gardens I've seen. Full of the bizarre, dripping with spark and interesting plants.
It's as creative as creative should be."
— Fergus Garrett, Chief Executive and Head Gardener, Great Dixter Charitable Trust
Most people arrive not quite knowing what to expect. Most people leave wishing they’d stayed longer
House & Garden Tours
Garden, homestead, vineyard, farm, and regenerating native forest — explored at your own pace or guided by the people who shaped every corner of it. Two ways in, both by arrangement.
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Workshops
From epiphytes growing in the canopy of Welton's mature trees to the rhythms of a sustainable kitchen garden — masterclasses led by Ross and Wendy, rooted in decades of experimentation on this land.
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Private Events
Mountain views, a garden in its prime, vineyard rows running to the horizon, and a 1901 homestead that has been hosting people well for over a century. Milestone celebrations, corporate functions, and intimate gatherings are all welcome.
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Film & Photography
Heritage architecture, botanical detail, geometric vineyard rows, native forest, mountain light — and the authenticity that only comes from a place that has never tried to look like anything other than itself.
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Stay
A few hundred metres from Welton's gate, Eliza's Garden Cottage sits waiting — a 3-bedroom retreat with its own pool, wood-fired hot tub, homemade breakfast provisions, and Wendy's bread still warm on the kitchen counter.
FIND OUT MORERecognition, Media, & Publications
Garden of National Significance (5 Star Accredited New Zealand Gardens Trust)
Earth Star Sustainability Award (NZ Gardens Trust)
Longstanding participation in Garden Marlborough
NZ House & Garden Tour (2020)
Featured In: NZ House & Garden
Featured In: Life & Leisure
Featured In: Marlborough Magazine
Featured In: Into the Garden: Private Sanctuaries Around the World (Phaidon, 2026)
Featured In: The Contemporary Garden (Phaidon, 2025)
Featured In: NZ Gardens to Visit — Rosemary Barraclough & Juliet Nicholas (Penguin, 2022)
Featured In: In the Company of Gardeners — Juliet Nicholas & Sue Allison (Penguin, 2021)
Most things at Welton happen because someone simply asked
A private tour, a workshop for your group, a milestone birthday among the vines, a film shoot at golden hour — tell us what you have in mind and we'll tell you whether, and how, it can happen.
Follow the seasons
Know before the gates open. New workshop dates, the best week to see gardens at their peak, the odd story too good not to share — straight from Wendy, only when there's something worth saying.
