Auckland Garden DesignFest’s first permaculture garden opens to the public this year

You will be given a warm welcome when you visit Amanda Warren's permaculture garden. She is one of 21 garden designers in this year's Auckland Garden DesignFest. Photo / Jake Legge

This year the Auckland Garden DesignFest will feature a permaculture garden for the first time. Based on the concept of designing a garden around a local environment, permaculture design considers the needs of the natural ecosystem, the climate and people. The Country features writer Kem Ormond finds out more.

Gardeners who are keen on seeing some fantastic garden design are going to be in for a real treat at this year’s Auckland Garden DesignFest.

For the first time , there will be a permaculture garden to visit and get some inspiration as to what you, too, could achieve in your town section.

Twenty-one garden designers have made the cut for the 2024 event, representing the greatest variety of handpicked examples of gardens that have yet been represented.

This is a rare opportunity for you to meet designers at each garden and ask questions.

You will get to see how edible, ornamental and flower gardens blend together, alongside statement-making sculptures. You can also learn how to enhance tiny houses, add interest to your Airbnb, see how to tier your property and learn about permaculture. Then leave for home absolutely brimming with ideas.

If living off your quarter acre or less is your dream, then you need to make sure you visit Amanda and Tim Warren’s Garden for Wellbeing, a permaculture garden designed on a quarter acre in St Heliers.

Formerly of Cheshire, England, Amanda and her husband have lived for 18 years on their property, which was a blank canvas when they moved there.

As a student of permaculture, landscape architecture and regenerative practices, Amanda has managed to blend these three practices and produce an absolutely stunning permaculture garden.

It is what I would call a mandala — a living, breathing, productive and beautiful garden.

Animal integration is a big part of this garden and I don’t mean large animals, we are talking about chooks who live a beautiful free-range existence, guinea pigs who now mow the lawn, a tortoise called Tui and his girlfriend Tara, goldfish and of course, a gorgeous golden retriever.

The griffin stands guard over the all-important bird bath fountain, which pays the silver eyes for their aphid control. Photo / Carol Jardine

Nested among the garden you will find a small pond, a water feature and fruit trees of every description.

There are also mushrooms growing on logs, nut trees, coffee plants, a banana tree producing bananas, a tamarillo tree, an avocado tree laden this year, and a special rainbow valley pawpaw, and that’s to name a few.

The vegetable garden grows happily, managed by the Ruth Stout Gardening Without Work method, which means no watering and a lot of mulch.

Alongside the beehive, compost bins, food forest and a visiting selection of birds, there is even a bath terrace moon garden designed as an alternative to a spa bath.

Helping biodiversity with a bug hotel seat can also be beautiful. Photo / Amanda Warren

Imagine stargazing and listening to the evening bug chorus — pure bliss.

And what does Amanda do when she isn’t tending the garden?

She is a co-director of Constructing Excellence, an organisation that teaches New Zealand construction companies how to improve their practices through training courses, workshops and events, including the Last Planner system.

The Bath Terrace is a glorious spot to indulge yourself.

That is along with designing clients’ gardens, running permaculture classes at her home, extending her own permaculture knowledge with international study tours, and helping to organise the Eastern Bays Garden Trail.

Amanda also runs a movement, along with other permaculture designers, called Gift The Garden.

They put a lot of time and effort into delivering community gardens for organisations such as Refugee Education, the refugee garden at Selwyn College, Kāinga Ora and Rotary.

On top of that, she is in the middle of writing a book on gardening for wellbeing.

She is one busy lady, but always finds time to share her knowledge and participate in community gardening projects.

Home-grown lunch by the pond. Photo / Amanda Warren

So, make time on November 23 and 24 to come and check out some truly amazing garden designs right on your doorstep.

The gardens chosen for Auckland Garden DesignFest are in Herne Bay, St Mary’s Bay, Ponsonby, Westmere, Point Chevalier, Sandringham, Mt Albert, Mt Eden, Remuera, Ōrākei, St Heliers, Glendowie, Castor Bay and Devonport.

This unique biennial weekend festival funds Youthline, Garden to Table, Oke, Dove Hospice and Wellness and Rotary New Market.

Tickets available online at https://www.gardendesignfest.co.nz/tickets.