West Whangārei Gardens

Garden Name: Land of the Lotus Water Gardens and Banana Park

Address: 304 Mangakāhia Rd, Maungatapere, Whangārei

Property Description: Land of the Lotus Water Gardens and Banana Park is a tropical oasis with bananas, pineapples, lotus and many other tropical edible plants. The property has a boutique collection of over 40 varieties of bananas, a pineapple plantation, the largest lotus watergardens in Northland, and tropical and hardy waterlilies. 

Recent additions to the gardens include mango trees planted outside 3 years ago now fruiting, and giant tropical guava. People are free to walk around the property on around 15 acres. There is a children's playground and accommodation available on-site. A spectacular property that should not be missed.

Sales: Many plants are available for sale including bananas, sapote, inga beans,  cherimoya, pineapples, many citrus varieties, tropical guava, and of course lotus, hardy and tropical water lilies

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 28th February and Sunday 1st March, 9am - 4pm

Garden Name: Kōtare Subtropicals at Kōtare Farm

 Address: 68 Snooks Road, Maungatapere. Please park on the grass immediately inside the front gate by the feijoa trees. There is also some parking if you drive down the driveway and park near the house.

 Property Description: Kotare Subtropicals featured on Country Calendar: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/country-calendar/episodes/s2024-e32 

Kōtare Subtropicals is a working 4.7 hectare orchard and nursery on volcanic soils in Maungatapere. The orchard grows feijoas, figs, bananas, turmeric and small amounts of pineapples and tropical papayas. They also have an extensive home orchard of citrus, plums, apples, cherimoya and more. There are mixed plantings of flowers, shrubs and trees as well as areas of vegetable garden.

They have a greenhouse with bananas, pineapples and tropical papayas planted. It is where they grow their more unusual subtropical fruiting plants for their nursery business. These plants include soursop, rollinia, jackfruit, black sapote and more.

Sales: There will be plants for sale, but please bring cash

Opening Times: Sunday 1st March, 9am - 4pm

East Whangārei Gardens

Garden Name: Fay McIntyre   NEW 2026

Address: 20B Dundas Road, Riverside, Whangārei. Limited parking is available on a section near the entrance of this property. The property slopes, so a reasonable level of fitness is needed.

Property Description: This is a wonderful subtropical fruit garden.

Tucked away up a secluded driveway, this secret subtropical fruit forest was originally planted over 20 years ago. It features a range of rare fruit trees including jackfruit, mangoes, yellow mangosteen, dragon fruit,  black sapote and jaboticaba amongst others. All significant trees are labelled.

The current owners have lovingly restored this large garden, adding even more diversity with 8 banana varieties, starfruit, ornamental pawpaw, longan, and an array of flowering plants to attract pollinators.

Sales: Jackfruit seedlings for sale

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 28th February, 9am - 4pm

Garden Name:  Wai Spot Farm   RETURNING 2026    

Address: 60 Old Pārua Bay Road (Only open for workshops below) 

Property Description: The 22 acre property is a work in progress and currently most of it is being converted into native and edible forest. One acre has been planted using Syntropic Agroforestry principles. Kathryn is trialling a variety of plants including water chestnut, sunchoke, mexican sunflower, mashua, yacon, turmeric, ginger, sugar cane, inga bean, pineapple, and tagasaste. She uses compost bins with worms, manure, and chicken poo in deep bedding.  Most of the gardens have some weeds as she would rather manage weeds just enough to grow some food and be spray free.

Talks/Demonstrations: 1 hour long for each workshop.

"Gardening with Chickens", Saturday 28th February, 1pm - 2pm, Sunday 1st March, 9am - 10am

"Syntropic Gardening", Saturday 28th February, 9am - 10am, Sunday 1st March, 1pm - 2pm

Spaces are limited to 15 people per workshop. Please register at waispotnz@gmail.com. Cost is $3 per person

Opening Days and Times:  Only open for workshops above.

Garden Name: Terry’s Patch    NEW 2026

Address: 215 Awaroa River Road, Whangārei. There are 2 large parking areas at the bottom of the steep drive.

Property Description: One acre of very organised and productive vegetable and flower gardens..

This garden is 10 years old. Attached to the house there is an extensive indoor/outdoor area with raised vegetable gardens. These gardens have irrigation, a goldfish pond and a fountain. They are under a plastic roof and can be accessed from the house without getting wet.

The owners grow all vegetables from seed in a small glasshouse. They have many garden beds on terraces. No sprays are used and vulnerable vegetables are covered with fine mesh cages.

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 28th February, 9am - 4pm

Garden Name: A Lime & Kicking    NEW 2026

Address: 216 Awaroa River Road, Whangārei. Good parking down drive. Children to be supervised due to sloping property and thorny bushes. 

Property Description: Finger limes, giant pumpkins and watermelons.

Finger lime (Citrus Australasia), also called caviar lime, is gourmet Australian bush tucker. It is great as a garnish and can also be made into marmalade or pickles. It grows readily in Northland on small spiky bushes and Tanya has an extensive collection of them.

Tanya is also having a go at growing an enormous pumpkin. Come and see how it is going.

Sales: Sausage sizzle, lemonade with a burst of finger lime pearls, plants, finger limes and watermelons. Please bring cash.

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 28th February, 9am - 4pm

Garden Name: Bananarama   NEW 2026

Address: 249 Awaroa River Road, Whangārei. Some parking down the drive and some on the turning circle 20m past the drive.

Property Description: This is a creative and colourful edible garden.

The property has been developed over 20 years from farmland. It is very much clay under 20-30cm of topsoil, so provides a few challenges building up the top soil with 'rotten silage', arborist mulch, crop and drop species and gypsum to break down the clay. There are established fruit trees and over the last 3 years there has been the addition of many tropical fruit trees, bananas, pineapples, blueberries and free range chickens.

There is a new banana circle which will be fed with 'rotten silage' prunings, grass clippings, cow poo and chicken poo. Bana Grass along with Sugar Cane are planted for shelter. Mexican Sunflower (Tithonia Diversifolia) is also used as a perennial support plant for the bananas and it has spectacular flowers. Annie also adores summer flowers.

Sales: Dragonfruit, Titonia plants, Frangipani plants and a few perennials. P[ease bring cash.

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 28th February, 9am - 4pm

Garden Name:  Brent and Wanda Burge   RETURNING 2026

Address: 7A Waimahanga Road, Onerahi, Whangārei

Property Description:  In 2021 Brent and Wanda's amazing quarter acre property was listed as a feature story in the New Zealand Gardener magazine. They moved to their property in Onerahi 11 years ago with a dream to have a garden that would supply their family with fresh organic and nutrient dense fruit and vegetables. Brent saw this as an opportunity to try all sorts of new and interesting plants. 

Brent has achieved this on his terraced property in Onerahi where every piece of land is filled with exotic fruit and veges. Plants include grapes, apples, pears, plums, figs, feijoas, jaboticaba, lucuma, atemoya, kei apple, pimenta, surinam, casimiroa, spreen and lots of others. Brent also grafts new and interesting fruit tree varieties onto his existing trees and has a huge wealth of horticultural knowledge to share. 

Grafting Demonstrations: 3pm, Sat 28 February and Sun 1 March

Opening Days and Times:  Sat 28th Feb and Sun 1 March, 9am - 4pm

Garden Name: Briar Monro Pottery  NEW 2026

Address: 82 Kiteone Road, Pārua Bay.  Please park on the road. Only limited mobility parking in the drive. The property is on a moderate slope.     . 

Property Description: Permaculture-based half acre garden with pottery studio.

Three years ago this garden was a horse paddock of clay and kikuyu with a fantastic view. In this sort time it has been transformed into an abundant and beautiful food forest, potager garden, home and pottery studio. Developed from scratch, using permaculture and syntropic agroforestry teachings, Briar Monro began by planting a perimeter of native trees to provide shelter and habitats before planning and developing the rest of the property. It's amazing what can be achieved in just a couple of years.

There are lots of before/after photos and Briar can explain how she has worked with, and continues to learn about the highly expansive clay, other challenges and developing sustainable systems. Briar is also a full time potter.

Sales: Pottery

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 28 February and Sunday 1 March, 9am to 4pm. Tours 11am and 2pm on both days. 

North Whangārei Gardens

Garden Name: Mike Jellick  NEW 2026

Address: 63 Great North Road, Springs Flat, Te Kamo

Property Description: Well organised and efficient berry house and plastic house.

Mike has a 21m x 6m berry house with steel frame and chicken wire where he grows blackberries, boysenberries, raspberries, blueberries, strawberries and grapes. He has raised beds, irrigation, and cigarette plants (Cuphea Ignea) to attract the bumblebees.

Mike also has a 16m by 3m plastic house for vegetables. This has raised beds and irrigation. Mike makes his own seaweed liquid fertiliser to feed the soil and uses no sprays other than Neem oil.

Opening Days and Times: Sunday 1 March, 9am - 4pm

Garden Name: The McBuxton's Patch

Address: 558 Crane Road, Kauri, Whangārei. Parking onsite. The adjacent roadside is not suitable for parking.

Property Description:  Very productive gardens on a 2 acre property.

When David and his family arrived in late 2020 the land was almost entirely in kikuyu. They established their vegetable patch without spray using no-dig methods. Weed mat strips are now used on the borders to contain kikuyu. Their garden is mostly organic using local and Fonterra sourced compost and pine post peelings for mulch. On most days there is something to harvest from the garden and there is an orchard with a large multi-variety banana patch.

The children are also keen gardeners and each has their own vege patch. There are swings for kids to play on and tea and coffee for a gold coin. A toilet is available. 

Sales: Pottery

Opening Days and Times:  Saturday 28 February, 9am - 4pm

Garden Name:  Darnie's Garden

Address: 414 Tōwai Road, Maromaku

Property Description:  Syntropic food forest plantings in a large front and backyard - 'Our Playground'.

Darnie is passionate about growing their own food. She would love to introduce syntropic agroforestry to others. "I'm no expert, simply learning through trial, errors and lots of observations". In 2023 she started small with a 7m food forest install, 3 years on there's less lawn and more trees. 

As a busy mum of 4 young children, she hopes to inspire others to become more self-reliant, to just give it a go and start somewhere. She's  enjoying creating an edible backyard for their children to play and feast in.

Sales:  Delicious home baking - savoury and sweet (best fudge ever), plants, bamboo stakes (her 10 and 12 year old are fundraising for sports)

Opening Days and Times: Saturday 28 February, 8am - 4pm