Garden Name:  Darnie's Garden

Address: 414 Towai Road, Maromaku (also showing on the Whangarei gardens page)

Property Description:  A variety of Syntropic Food Forest plantings in our large backyard aka 'Our Playground'.

Open 7:30am - 12 noon, Sat 8th and Sat 15th  February 2025.

I have a passion for growing food. I would love to introduce Syntropic Agroforestry to others, sharing what I've learnt over the last 2 years from other people and from my own trial and error. As a busy mum of 4 young children, I hope to inspire others to become more self-reliant by growing food, saving seeds, taking cuttings, preserving excess, to just - give it a go - and start somewhere. We're enjoying creating an edible backyard for our children.

Next door on our 4 generational dairy & beef family farm, we also have 2 large traditional style whanau vegetable gardens. These are surrounded by new trial crop paddocks planted out with a mix of over 20 different grass species, including sunflowers for the cows to graze.

Sales:  Hot Drinks, Breakfast and Morning tea goodies.  Seeds, Produce and Plants. Proceeds will go to my daughter's fundraising for Aims Games competing in Gymnastics.

Opening Days and Times:  7:30am - 12 noon, Sat 8th and Sat 15th  February 7:30am - 12 noon

Garden Name: “Let food be thy medicine”

Address: 33 Settlement Rd, Kawakawa

Property Description:  One-acre piece of land on the outskirts of Kawakawa with a large 2.5 years old organic vegetable garden.

There is also a paddock with 5 sheep, 9 ducks and fruit trees such as persimmon, feijoas, figs, citrus, quince, plums, tamarillo, bananas, macadamia, guava and three 20m high pine nut trees. There is a lovely bamboo grove on the property that I use to make trellises for my plants and garden stakes. 

I’m in the process of setting up a garden hub, in which people from the Kawakawa community are able to share this space and teach and learn many things around healthy living / gardening. I'm passionate about connecting with people and teaching them skills and knowledge about how to grow healthy food and be self-sustainable. I preserve (jams, jellies, chutneys, butters, pastes, sauces), ferment, dry, pickle, bake and cook the produce. I also make creams, ointments and tinctures for healing. And I like to learn new things.

Sales: Refreshments and produce available.  

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th February 9am – 4pm

Garden Name:  Wai Māhanga Farm

Address: 22 Bristow Rd, Kawakawa. Go to the start of Bristow Rd, but don't go down the road as signposted. Instead go down the gravel road along the side of the Kawakawa Rugby Club building which is right in front of you. This will turn into a farm track leading to Gary and Maryanne's farm.

Property Description: A  40 hectare holistically managed regenerative farm.  

Over the last 7 years of using organic regenerative agriculture practices there has been a transformation on the farm resulting in an increase in the carbon in the soil, increase in water retention, increase in soil biology, increase in the diversity of grasses, healthier plants and healthier animals. Stock numbers have doubled, topsoil depth has doubled and at the same time external inputs, such as fertilizers and chemical sprays, have reduced to zero. If you want to find out more about regenerative agriculture this farm visit is highly recommended. It will also be of interest for people with food forests and gardeners in general. See "Soil Carbon Cowboys"   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDoUDLbg8tg 

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th February 9am – 4pm

Garden Name: The Lonely Valley Community Garden

Address: Corner of Waimangaro Road and SH 11, between Opua and Paihia

Property Description: 

Located in the Bay of Islands, next to the Roadrunner Tavern, The Lonely Valley Community Garden is a welcoming space for locals to come together and grow fresh produce. Join us in cultivating not only plants but also friendships as we work toward a greener, more sustainable future for our community. Everyone is welcome! https://www.facebook.com/groups/440231369055140

When you try to establish a non-profit garden you tend to be limited in resources but rich in hope and inspiration, so it’s fantastic to have the support of local people and businesses to donate plants, signs, timber to make seats and bamboo for climbing frames.

The site has some very old grape, plum, apple and pear trees which were heavily pruned a year ago to help create space for other fruit trees and vegetables to be added such as fig, corn, pumpkin, beans, tomato, okra, strawberry, raspberry, rhubarb, kale, herbs and companion flowers such as zinnia, sunflower and Mexican sunflower. Well worth a visit.

Opening Days and Times: 

Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th February 9am – 4pm 

Garden Name: Sheltered Tropics

Address: 73 Aucks Road, Russell. You will have to catch the vehicle ferry, but it's worth it. https://northlandferries.co.nz/bay-of-islands-ferry/#vehicle 

Description:  A 23 year old thriving tropical food forest which has created its own microclimate. 

Lauren and Kerry have a wealth of experience and knowledge in growing tropical trees and plants and they are happy to share it with visitors. The gardens are still a work in progress but it is remarkable what they are growing and harvesting to eat. They have tropical papaya growing outside, 28 varieties of bananas, 4 varieties of passionfruit, sapote, lucuma, rose apple, queen pineapple, pomegranate, kiwiberry, Brazilian tree fern, a young coconut and many other tropical plants. 

Date Sat 8th and Sun 9th February, 9am to 4pm

Garden Name: Claire's Farm 

Address: 36 Tui Glen Road, Haruru. Go down Tui Glen Road past Jamesons Esplanade road turn off (ignore Google maps).

Description:. A 40 ha zero carbon emissions farm with 23 horses instead of a car and 3 oxen instead of a tractor. There is also a milking cow, milking goats and chickens.  

Around the horse training yard there is a wonderfully diverse 3 year old food forest in the the making. Do not be put off by first impressions - when you arrive get out and explore how the plants (everything from walnut and chestnut to kumara and the careful selection of weeds) are transforming the soil. Claire is living more and more in tune with the environment and is involved with conservation work such as the "Iwi Kiwi" trust.

Date 

Sat 8th and Sun 9th February, 9am to 4pm

Demonstration:

There will also be an ox training demonstration from 11am to 1pm, Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th!!

Garden Name: Kaitiaki Māra Kai: Backyard Gardens

Address: 1 Hongi Street, Kaikohe

Description: Community garden demonstrating what can be achieved in a small space in your own backyard.

Kaitiaki Māra Kai aims to provide the knowledge, resources, and support needed for individuals and families in Te Tai Tokerau to create and maintain productive backyard gardens so that we can all have food security. When we are considering what to do in our gardens we follow an organic philosophy based on Hua Parakore. Celebrate the power of māra kai and together, let’s cultivate resilient, thriving communities through the art of gardening and the wisdom of our ancestors.  

Date Saturday 8th February, 9am to 4pm 

Garden Name: Natural Building Centre

Address: 421 SH 10, Oromahoe.

Property Description:  Grant Steven is a former tutor in Sustainable Rural Development at North Tec who now makes Light Earth Buildings and wood fired ovens.

Grant's light earth buildings are made from clay, water and fibre. Straw is traditionally used for the fibre but as it is not locally available in Northland he is experimenting with other fibres, with his favourite being Miscanthus × giganteus  elephant grass which he is growing on site. The light earth is mainly fibre with just a little clay slurry. The light earth can be applied to a wattle and daub style frame (using split bamboo which is available locally instead of wattle). A thicker clay earth plaster layer is then applied on top. He also makes ergonomic light earth panels which are quick to make and light enough to easily be handled by 2 people and put into a wooden frame structure.

His earth ovens include umu ovens, pizza ovens and Indian naan bread ovens. His gardens are also worth checking out. 

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th February 9am – 4pm

Garden Name: Graeme Kettle

Address: 19 Oromahoe School Rd, Oromahoe

Property Description:  "The Northland family whose food forest feeds - with 250 edible plants - sustains them"  - Stuff News, June 2023 

Over the last 5 years at Oromahoe Graeme and Debbie have created organic edible landscapes where their young children free range, where wildlife is welcome, and where the Mauri (life energy) flourishes. They have developed diverse productive food forests and sustainable garden systems that are resilient and can even thrive in a drought without the use of irrigation or town water supply. They grow practically all their own fruit and vegetables and their food forests sustained the family of 4 within just 1 year. They are passionate seed savers, particularly of heritage varieties. There is a lot to learn from their gardens, set amongst some lovely rock walls, and there is a new experimental syntropic agroforestry garden.

“The integrated orchard and vegetable gardens at Oromahoe were enlightening... Graeme has been experimenting with permaculture and biodynamics for over 15 years; the success of which was evident.” – Northern Advocate, 19 Feb. 2022

"Beautifully planned and planted edible garden and food forest" -  NZ Gardener Magazine, June 2023

Talks/Demonstrations: 

Guided Tour - 2pm Sunday 

Opening Days and Times: 

Sat 8th Feb 9am - 4pm

Sun 9th Feb 9am - 4pm

Garden Name: Paul's Garden

Address  19 Oromahoe School Road, Oromahoe, Bay of Islands

Property Description:  500m2 (1/8 acre) property with a vege garden, fruit trees and a chicken tractor.

As well as a vegetable garden Paul has 2 avocado, 1 orange, 1 tamarillo, 1 pineapple, rhubarb and 2 blueberry bushes. His 4 chickens in the movable chicken run and house is used to break in new areas of garden and the vegetable gardens help feed the chickens. Bumble bees have  made an underground home in the chicken run which pollinate the vegetables. Paul has made a bird feeder to encourage more birds to visit his garden and he has also built a kid's tree house on the property, nestled between some bamboo which he planted for bean stakes. All of this is on his small 1/8 acre property.

Opening Days and Times: 

Sat 8th Feb 9am - 4pm

Sun 9th Feb 9am - 4pm

Parking: Use the same parking and entrance as Graeme Kettle's property.

Garden Name: Te Waimate Mission

Address: 344 Te Ahu Ahu Road, Waimate North

Property Description:  The grounds of New Zealand's 2nd oldest house are a great place for a picnic. Charles Darwin described his visit here in 1835 as "exceedingly pleasing".

Te Waimate Mission was the heart of New Zealand's first European model farming village, an attempt to transplant an entire food culture from the other side of the world. Today there are still sheep and cattle in the paddocks. The grounds of the mission house contain some notable heritage edible trees and plants such as grape, lemon and rose hip. Of special interest are New Zealand's oldest Bunya trees which were introduced from Australia almost 200 years ago and are now 29m high.  They are related to NZ Kauri, but the Bunya cones can weigh up to 18kg each and contain dozens of large, delicious, nutritional nuts which are highly valued as a food source by the Australian Aboriginal people. 

Opening Days and Times:  Free admission to the grounds which are always open. $10 admission to the inside of the mission house.

https://www.visitheritage.co.nz/visit/northland/te-waimate-mission 

Food: Tea/coffee and biscuits for a small koha.

Garden Name: Old Bay Joinery 

Address: 202 Old Bay Road, Waimate North 

Description:

A well established property which features bee hives and an interesting new home made glasshouse which was made utilising some large double glazed windows which Phil picked up cheap. It has an ingenious irrigation system which takes nutrient rich water from his fish pond which is situated in the middle of his house. Once the water has fertilized the plants in the glasshouse it is returned purified to the fish pond. Ventilation and cooling of the glasshouse in summer is by opening the skylights and/or the 2 doors in the glasshouse. Phil grows tomatoes, courgettes and other vegetables through winter in the glasshouse without having to use a heating system. 

Opening Days and Times:   

Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th February 9am - 4pm  

Garden Name: Alana and Bob's Sub-Tropical Food Forest

Address: 34 Te Rore Lane, Waimate North. Mobility parking available at the end of drive, rest of parking is near top of drive.

Property Description: A 40 acre lifestyle farm with a 4yr old food forest project practising permaculture principles.

We are keen on growing subtropical fruit trees and growing a variety of plants from seed in our greenhouse and nursery. We are trying to maintain a vege garden whilst creating this project so we can be self-sufficient in the future. Our property has many environmental challenges such as being a high wind zone and a sloping terrain with boulders. We started off purchasing a helicopter sprayed grassland and now have challenges like gorse and tobacco weed. Come and have a look and see how we use this to our advantage. Good footwear advised.

For Sale: Plants - Mountain paw paw, Casana, Tagasaste, Tithonia, Tropical pink guava, Geranium (selection), Pineapple (red)

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 8th and Sunday 9th February 9am – 1pm, Guided tour at 10am and 12pm.

Garden Name: Down to Earth NZ

Address: 852 Waimate North Road, Waimate North

Property Description: Regenerated farmland ecologically enhanced over 8 years of planting and infrastructure with a spring fed gravity water system, native forest restoration, and wetlands built. 

This beautiful property has permaculture designed productive gardens including water cress areas, and just so many creative projects on the go! Designed by Landscape designer Simon Berry and built with love from many helping hands!  Tours and talks will be available on the day.

Accommodation: Available in our eco caravans or private campervan parking. Search Facebook for Down to Earth NZ or use the link  https://www.facebook.com/downtoearthnz/

Opening Days and Times: 

Sat 8th Feb 9am - 4pm

Sun 9th Feb 9am - 4pm

Garden Name: Kerikeri Organic, Mara Tui Community Gardens, and Alistair's Garden'

Address: Kerikeri Organic, 1188 SH 10, Kerikeri. Go down the drive to Kerikeri Organic and then continue on past the organic shop.

Description: A 32 ha property growing & marketing organic fruit, vegetables and other products. The orchard and gardens, pasture and cows, native bush and farm forestry, community are our vision to becoming a self-sufficient environment.   Organic shop will be open all day  https://kerikeriorganic.co.nz/

Community Gardens Tour: 3pm to 4pm Sat 8 Feb

Mara Tui: Come for a tour of the Māra Tui Community Garden, a special place full of interesting and edible plants and trees. The Māra Tui is a unique meeting and learning space, where we have regular community gatherings including crop swaps, workshops, working bees and more. It’s a garden that makes the heart sing. Afternoon tea at 4pm.

Mara Tui Nui: This is an extension of Mara Tui and the vision of this new garden is to grow healthy organic food for a larger community. We learn with and from each other, exploring different ways to grow as we expand. Syntropic agroforestry is a regenerative farming method that mimics natural ecosystems. By planting diverse species in layers, it enhances biodiversity, soil health, and productivity. At our Kerikeri community gardens, we use these principles to grow food while restoring the land.

Alistair's Garden:  Ali's garden is at the start of its journey to become an abundant and nurturing space for his family and many generations to come. He is focusing on using the principles of syntropics to create swales that use the natural contours of the land to provide water and nutrients to the soil as well as layered planting to ensure future continuous crops to harvest. Ali loves to observe his land and see how nature flourishes so that he can work with the land to create a sustainable, thriving and inspiring garden.

Serendipiday Fayre:  5pm to early evening, Sat 8 Feb  Music and food.

Days and Times: Sat 8 Feb. 9am onwards

We are also welcoming people to join our garden day which runs every Thursday from 9am to 12midday. For more info contact Lidaluz 0224559654.

Garden Name: Kerikeri Mission Station Garden 

Address:  246 Kerikeri Road, Kerikeri

Property Description:  Aotearoa, New Zealand’s oldest European garden nestled on a delightful riverbank with two of NZ's oldest buildings; Kemp House and the Stone Store.

The gardens have been continuously cultivated for more than 200 years, first by Ngāphui iwi (local Māori people) with crops of kumara (sweet potato), potato, yam, taro and aruhe (fern), the garden has evolved over time, but the layers of history are revealed as you explore the grounds. Discover millstones from the 1820s, the site of the first grape vines planted in  NZ, a 100-year-old Mulberry tree, and a well-kept gorse hedge are just some of the surprising elements to this garden. These days, it is lovingly maintained by a hardworking gardener and volunteers, and includes a heritage orchard. 

In the Plough & Feather's car park just across the road is NZ's oldest fruit tree: a 205 year old pear tree which is also still going strong.

Opening Days and Times: The gardens are always open. Free admission, but koha is very welcome.

Food:  The Honey House Cafe  https://www.facebook.com/TheHoneyHouseCafe/

Garden Name:  Wharepuke Subtropical Garden

Address:  190 Kerikeri Road, Kerikeri

Property Description:  

2 hectares of beautiful garden landscaped by Robin Booth since 1993 and awarded National Significance 5 stars  by the NZ Gardens Trust.

The mature subtropical garden contains many rare and unusual plants including edible fruiting trees such as jaboticaba, Davidson's plum, kei apple, cherimoya (custard apple), casimiroa (white sapote), cinnamon, lucuma and grumichama. All trees have a name tag and there is a list of them in the nontoxic printmaking studio where the koha box is. Part of the garden is also a sculpture trail which is designed to complement the exotic plants.

Talks/Demonstrations: A team member will be available for questions.

Opening Days and Times: The gardens are open all day, everyday. Admission by koha.

Food:  MĀHA Restaurant   https://www.maharestaurant.co.nz/

Check website for opening hours

Garden Name:  Maggie's Garden

Address: 1715  SH 10, Kerikeri

Property Description:  About an acre of mature biodynamic gardens bursting with life and Nature.

Natural, wildish, edible gardens with more flowers than vegetables, and why not as the flowers are as vibrant and beautiful as 86 year old Maggie herself. There are also fruit trees, a shady native tree grove, a small commercial flower garden, lawns with outside tables and chairs, and many delicious varieties of grapes, including one grape vine which is 100 years old. Children are welcome.

Sales: Grapes, flowers, all day morning and afternoon tea.

Opening Days and Times:  

Sat 8th Feb 9am - 4pm

Sun 9th Feb 9am - 4pm

Garden Name:  KERILEA

Address: 1629a SH 10, Kerikeri

Property Description:  1.5 acre lifestyle block with 18 chickens. Only open for garden tours at 8:30am and 2pm on Sat 8th February 

There were already many beautiful large trees but over the last 2 years the property has been transformed into a thriving sustainable edible landscape. The old dying orchard was brought back to life with mulching and adding seaweed, horse poo and grass clippings. There is worm farm composting system, a herbal tower on the porch and a 6 month old hot house growing pawpaw with an understory of tomato, watermelon and nasturtium. 

The owners have learnt a lot from trail and error which they would like to share with visitors.

They are looking for a part time grounds person who could live onsite.

Sales:  Cold drinks and produce

Opening Days and Times:  

Only open for garden tours at 8:30am and 2pm on Sat 8th February

Closed Sunday 9th February 2025