Garden 5

Te Whau Retreat
200 Te Whau Drive, Te Whau

The owners of this seven-acre property completed the building of their home in 2018 and immediately set about developing the garden…from scratch.  Over 6 years they have transformed a ‘post-build’ raw and scarred clay landscape into well-established gardens that feel as if they have always been there. They aimed to create a journey that reflected the landscape of Waiheke, to mix native and non-native plants, to restore the land and to invite in the bird life. 

At the heart of the home, there is an internal courtyard planted with native plants grown from seedlings. It is tiled with handmade clay tiles and boasts a stunning homemade shade sail…both the work of the owner. 

The influence of Fiji is evident in the garden with tropical plantings of banana, sugar cane, curry leaves, chilli, frangipani and hibiscus all thriving.

This garden has been the main creative outlet for the owner who has learnt through ‘trial and error’ to work with the limitations of the environment.

Art on display will include three new paintings from talented local artist Tom Wilson. An exhibition earlier this year of Tom’s gorgeous botanical paintings was a sell out! Thanks to Tom who will donate a percentage of sales to The Jassy Dean Trust.