Events at the Botanic Gardens

You are invited to join a number of events throughout the year at the New Zealand World Peace Bell located in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens.

Celebrate, commemorate and have a go at ringing the bell.

Annual events

The World Peace Bell Association(external link) organises all of the above ceremonies with the exception of UN Holocaust Memorial Day, Hiroshima and Nagasaki Remembrance and Joya-no-kane 108 Bells.

Sometimes new events are added so please check back for commemorations of interest.

Find out more about the New Zealand World Peace Bell.

10am to 11.30am, Mondays during the school term.

Calling all parents, grandparents and caregivers! Bring your preschool-aged tamariki into the Christchurch Botanic Gardens to enjoy a simple craft or plant-based activity with the Canterbury Horticultural Society.

Stories, toys and colouring-in are available too.

• All welcome - no booking needed (caregiver supervision is required).
• Tea and coffee are provided.
• Gold coin koha entry
• Runs during school term-time.

Enjoy gardening and nature-based activities with your preschooler.

More information is available on the Canterbury Horticultural Society Facebook page(external link).

Envirokids is a chance to connect kiwi kids to our environmental community and it's free.

Every Saturday, the Envirohub(external link) will have activities for kids inspired by the mahi (work) of different organisations that work with the environment.

Activities are available between 10am to 3pm every Saturday (even in the holidays).

• 10am to 3pm every Saturday at the Kiosk, Botanic Gardens.
• Children that come regularly can record their learning in a special passbook available once they attend their second event.
• EnviroKids is also an accredited Children's University learning destination so stamps are available for participating children's passports.

Find out more information about EnviroKids(external link) or keep up to date on the EnviroKids Facebook(external link). 

10.30am to 1.30pm Thursdays.

Pop in for an environmental chat if you need inspiration or advice on anything from starting a new environmental project,  volunteer challenges,  funding advice for green projects, sustainability at home or waste and recycling processes.

The EnviroHub are here to help:

• An opportunity to join an ongoing conversation or have a one-on-one chat.
• Free, no bookings required.
• Drop into the Kiosk anytime between 10.30am and 1pm in the Kiosk, Botanic Gardens.

Find more information about Environmental Chat(external link).

Join the Friends of the Botanic Gardens volunteer guides for free guided walks at the Botanic Gardens (October to April) and Mona Vale Gardens (year-round).

Pick and choose from a wonderful selection of topics or come along to all of them for a dose of exercise, beautiful displays, and education rolled into one.

See the walk schedule.

Botanic Gardens guided walks

• October to April
• 1.30pm daily lasting 45 to 90 minutes.
• Meet at the Kiosk, Christchurch Botanic Gardens.

Mona Vale guided walks

• Selected dates throughout the year.
• 1.30pm, lasting approx. 90 minutes.
• Meet by the Mona Vale rose garden.

If you have any queries about guided walks at Mona Vale or the Botanic Gardens, please contact friendsofthegardens@gmail.com.

Join the Friends of the Botanic Gardens for their summer talk series!

Understanding wildlife in our urban jungle: 4pm, Sunday 15 September

Join Dr Sara Kross, a conservation biologist and senior lecturer at the School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury.

Sara's work broadly seeks to understand how habitat management affects human-wildlife interactions in modified landscapes such as farms and cities. She has worked on species ranging from kārearea and barn owls to raccoons, ticks, and people.

Sara will discuss projects from her work in North American cities, ranging from bird and mammal use of green spaces, to the hazards of urban areas for wildlife, to novel disease networks, and will introduce new work her lab is doing here in Ōtautahi Christchurch.

• Meet at the Kiosk, located over the footbridge entrance to the Gardens from the Armagh St car park.
• Friends' and CHS Members $5 and non-members $10, pay at door.
• Afternoon tea refreshments provided.

Contact the Friends of the Botanic Gardens(external link) for more information, or to join the organisation.

Enjoy zero-waste, nature-based craft that creates beautiful, sustainable gifts and home decorations.

• Please email Isabelle at events@chsgardens.co.nz to go on the waitlist if you’re unable to join on the date you wish.
• Join us at The Kiosk, Christchurch Botanic Gardens – just over the footbridge from the Armagh St car park.
• Free parking is available for the duration.

Learn to create a kono (four-corner) basket from harakeke

Sunday 22 September 10am to 12.30pm.

In this workshop, you’ll learn how to make a useful Kono (four-corner) basket. By the end of the workshop, you’ll have the knowledge and skills to craft your own practical and sustainable harakeke basket.

Costs

• $40 Members and Friends of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens
• $45 Non-members
• $100 Course + CHS Membership
• Price includes all materials and self-serve tea, coffee and biscuits.
  

Buy tickets(external link)

Become a Member of the CHS(external link) and receive up to 30% off all our courses and workshops

Please note that our courses are aimed at adults. If you are under 18 please contact us before booking so we can check with our tutors.

Contact 03 366 6937 or office@chsgardens.co.nz for more information.

Sow an array of flower seeds to brighten your garden

• Thursday 12 September 6.30pm to 8.30pm
• Join us at The Kiosk, Christchurch Botanic Gardens – just over the footbridge from the Armagh Street car park.
• Free parking is available for the duration.

A hands-on workshop with plenty to take home to get you growing

In this easy-going session, self-taught flower-garden enthusiast, Isabelle Weston will introduce you to growing cut flowers from seed. Designed for beginners, this hands-on workshop will teach you the essentials of raising your own flower seeds, from planting to growth.

You’ll gain valuable knowledge on how to nurture a thriving flower garden and take home enough seeds to provide plenty of future planting and picking.

The course will cover:

• Fundamentals of seed raising: Learn about different types of flower seeds, soil preparation, and optimal planting techniques.
• Practical experience: A hands-on workshop where you will pot your own seeds under guidance.
• Seedling care: Gain insights into watering, sunlight requirements, and other care tips to ensure healthy seedling growth.

Materials provided to take home:

• A variety of flower seeds
• Seedling trays and pots
• High-quality potting mix
• Instructional planting guide
• Seed to take home

What to bring:

• Notebook and pen for taking notes
• Gardening gloves (optional)
• Mask for potting mix
• A large plastic or cardboard storage box for transporting your newly planted seeds home. A plastic storage container can also serve as a seed-raising glass house.

Costs

• $40 Members and Friends of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens
• $45 Non-members
• $100 Course + CHS Membership
• Price includes all materials and self-serve tea, coffee and biscuits
  

Buy tickets.(external link)

Become a Member of the CHS(external link) and receive up to 30% off all our courses and workshops

Please note that our courses are aimed at adults. If you are under 18 please contact us before booking so we can check with our tutors. 

Contact 03 366 6937 or office@chsgardens.co.nz for more information.

Discover how easy it is to grow healthy vegetable plants from seed

• Saturday 14 September 2pm to 4pm
• The Kiosk, Christchurch Botanic Gardens (just over the footbridge from the Armagh Street car park).
• Free parking is available for the duration.

Kickstart your gardening journey with our Veggie Seed Raising workshop.

This course is perfect for beginners or anyone eager to set aside time to plant their veggie seeds this spring!

This hands-on workshop covers all the essentials of growing your own vegetable seeds, from planting to nurturing. You’ll learn how to cultivate a flourishing veggie garden and leave with enough seeds to fill a substantial garden, plus extra seeds for future planting.

The course will cover:

• Fundamentals of seed raising: Learn about different types of vegetable seeds, soil preparation, and optimal planting techniques.
• Practical experience: Participate in hands-on activities, potting your own seeds under expert guidance.
• Seedling care: Gain insights into watering, sunlight requirements, and other care tips to ensure healthy seedling growth.

Materials provided to take home:

• • A variety of veggie seeds donated from Yates(external link) and The Southern Seed Exchange(external link)
  • Seedling trays and pots
  • High-quality potting mix
  • Instructional planting guide
  • Seed for future planting

What to bring:

• Notebook and pen for taking notes
• Gardening gloves (optional)
• Mask for potting mix

Costs

• $40 Members and Friends of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens
• $45 Non-members
• $100 Course + CHS Membership
• Price includes all materials and self-serve tea, coffee and biscuits.
  

Buy tickets.(external link)

Become a Member of the CHS(external link) and receive up to 30% off all our courses and workshops

Please note that our courses are aimed at adults. If you are under 18 please contact us before booking so we can check with our tutors. 

Contact 03 366 6937 or office@chsgardens.co.nz for more information.

Ceramics inspired by nature

Create a vase, plate, or a botanically inspired Green Man tile!

Join ceramicist Jane McCulla for a hands-on practical workshop at The Kiosk in the Botanic Gardens. In each workshop Jane will demonstrate how to imprint botanical textures onto clay, hand-building techniques (vase or plate) or how to make a botanically inspired Green Man tile. Jane will take care of the glazing and firing and two weeks later you’ll collect a glazed vase/plate or tile imprinted with botanical patterns and suitable for everyday use.

Botanical vase

• 10am to 12.30pm Sunday 15 September
• 10am to 12pm Tuesday 24 September

Botanical plate

• 10am to 12pm, Thursday 7 November
• 1pm to 3pm, Sunday 10 November

Green Man tile

• 10am to 12pm, Sunday 2 March 2025

Members: $65
Non-members $80
Workshops include all materials, glazing and kiln firing.

Please bring an apron or wear clothing you are happy to get a spot of clay on.

Courses are aimed at adults. If you're under 18 please contact the CHS before booking so they can check if the course will be suitable with the tutors.

Find out more and book.(external link)

Heron and her friends have been part of the Peacock Fountain for over 100 years. This spring, Heron is going on an adventure using her five super senses.

Follow her footsteps as she discovers the secrets of the Gardens and see what you can see, smell, hear, touch and taste!

• Self-guided discovery trail. Caregivers must accompany children.
• Best suited for ages 3-12.
• Collect your free activity booklet from the Visitor Centre. Please remember to bring a pen or pencil.
• The trail will run daily from 9am to 5pm, Saturday 28 September to Sunday 13 October, rain or shine.

Join the Canterbury Horticultural Society these school holidays and unleash your child’s imagination with a range of enchanting workshops:

• Creative Clay Pot Plant & Scented Planting Fun
• Create your own Magical Kingdom
• Scented & Glitter Fragrance Making Workshop
• Posy Jar: A Blooming Adventure of Creativity & Scent!

Location:

• The Kiosk, Christchurch Botanic Gardens, just over the footbridge entrance from the Armagh Street car park.

Date and time: 

• Monday 30 September
• Tuesday 1 October
• Thursday 3 October
• Thursday 7 October

Choose from two morning or afternoon sessions per day.

Cost:

• $25 per session.
• Price includes materials and self-serve tea and coffee.
• Purchase 4 or more workshops and receive $10 off your order with coupon code fun-filled (applied at cart).

Ages:

• Suitable for children aged 3 to 12 years
• Please support under 7’s by remaining for the session.

Bookings:

• Spaces are limited.
• Sgn up today and let your child’s imagination blossom. Find out more or book your place.(external link)

The Canterbury Horticultural Society invite you to their monthly get-together: Garden Life(external link), a two-hour programme of gardening tips and socialising including a main and mini speaker of horticultural interest.

Garden Life takes place at The Kiosk in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens. This is located opposite the entrance when you first enter the Gardens from the Armagh Street car park footbridge.

$5 for CHS and Friends members, $10 non-members.

Refreshments provided - tea, coffee and biscuits in the afternoon sessions, and cheese, crackers and fruit punch in the evening sessions.

October

• 1pm Tuesday 1 October, repeated at 6pm.
• Wednesday 2 October.

Main speaker:

• Elizabeth Wilks – CHS Avebury: A climate-resilient garden:
• In the grounds of historic Avebury House, the Canterbury Horticultural Society is creating an ornamental garden to showcase how gardeners can cope with projected climate change in Canterbury in a sustainable way. As gardeners we each have a choice in how we respond to this climatic reality: we can either continue to irrigate or we can garden for climatic resilience.
• Designed by Elizabeth Wilks, the CHS Avebury garden design is plant-driven with a complex blend of climate-resilient native and exotic species. Elizabeth is a lifelong gardener and designer with training and a previous career in environmental science.

Mini speaker Tuesday: 

• Jane Cowan-Harris - Friends of the Christchurch Botanic Gardens.

Mini speaker Wednesday:

• Ben Alder – Envirohub.

To get involved in volunteering in the Botanic Gardens, join the Friends of the Botanic Gardens(external link).