Garden 4

36 Cory Road, Palm Beach

Patsy and Arthur Sherman

Having had a holiday home on Waiheke for 13 years introduced us to the microclimate where we could grow anything from seeds to cuttings. Retiring 7 years ago to Cory Road was an easy choice to make as we overlook Palm Beach and the distant Coromandel Ranges. The front garden was overrun with honeysuckle, agapanthus and pampas bushes but some treasures were worth saving in the garden - camelias, azaleas, hibiscus, wisteria, spring bulbs and the odd native including a young kauri tree. It was steep and rocky but we soon created a pebble path leading through the gardens that attract many native birds including a very bossy tui. Monarch butterflies, honeybees and bumblebees are daily visitors to the shrubs and flowering plants throughout the year. The back garden overlooks a vineyard with vistas to the Auckland cityscape. Graham Anderson from Scapes advised how to terrace the back garden with planting to protect from the wind. Raised beds and fruit trees from cuttings from our late parents of figs, guava, paw paw, rose cuttings and orchids have created a peaceful, private haven. Nature is so beautiful.