Giant moving sculptures will loom over the Surrealist Garden, seen under construction here.

Hamilton Gardens has all the money it needs for the new fantasy gardens a year and a half ahead of schedule.

Construction of the four new themed gardens is well under way, with the funding target of $7.2 million reached halfway through the three-year project.

There are giant moving sculptures, ivy-covered ruins and a reconstruction of yesteryear New Zealand in the works.

TOM LEE/FAIRFAX NZ Hamilton Gardens director Dr Peter Sergel and the giant door which will transform into a movie projection screen in the Surrealist Garden.

In one garden, a steampunk-style airship floats by magical means insiders have sworn not to divulge.

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Hamilton Gardens director Dr Peter Sergel said it was the most successful fund-raising effort yet.

TOM LEE/FAIRFAX NZ Hamilton Gardens director Dr Peter Sergel in the Mansfield Garden, with its 19th century-style building facade.

The money was raised through council rates, a Lotteries Significant Project Fund grant and sponsorship.

Sergel thought "all hell would break loose" when rates funding was publicised.

But he was surprised by ratepayer support.

TOM LEE/STUFF The Tudor Garden is part of the Fantasy Collection already open to the public.

"There were a couple against, but they weren't against the Gardens, they were against the principle of the thing."

The four new gardens are part of the Fantasy Collection, each related to a different form of art.

The Concept Garden carries the message of New Zealand's land use, with garden beds of vineyards, wetlands and farmland. It should be open to the public in early 2018.

The Mansfield Garden, which recreates a scene from 19th century New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield's short story The Garden Party, should open soon after.

The Surrealist Garden should open at the beginning 2019, but is dependant on the growth of ivy covering the moving sculptures.

An extension to the information centre should be completed in September this year.

The whole project is due to be completed in 18 months.

As building costs have increased, aspects such as the large picnic chair in the Surrealist Garden have been left out, Sergel said, so fundraising continues.

First established on an old city dump over 30 years ago, the Gardens attract 4000 people a day over summer.

"We originally talked about how we would attract people ... now we're not really advertising," Sergel said.

The new Fantasy Collection gardens:

The Mansfield Garden will recreate a scene from Katherine Mansfield's The Garden Party, with a picnic sculpture laid out alongside a tennis court

The Picturesque Garden channels Mozart and will feature ivy-covered ruins and occasional river views



The Surrealist Garden will feature moving plant sculptures and a giant picnic chair, five times human size

The Concept Garden will demonstrate New Zealand's use of land, showcasing wetlands to vineyards in separate planter beds.