Greenacres Garden and Nursery

Henderson, Auckland

Owners:

Karen and Peter Sherman

Click images to enlarge

Address:

78 Coulter Road, Henderson, Auckland

Phone:

+ 64-9-838 5433

Fax:

+ 64-9-836 0804

Email:

karen@greenacres-nursery.co.nz

Open:

daily, 11am to 4pm (Closed Monday & Friday)

Groups:

tours by appointment

Fee:

$4 per person

Size:

Large - 4ha (10 acres)

Terrain:

Hilly in places

Facilities:

Nursery & Giftshop on site

Greenacres Gardens, Nursery and Giftshop is located in West Auckland on 10 acres (4 hectares), including hilly terrain in part. With views over surrounding paddocks of cows and the sheep, which visitors can handfeed by arrangement, Greenacres features succulents, cacti, bromeliads, palms and ferns. Karen, with her husband Peter, and son Jason, have landscaped the gardens and built the on-site shop and café themselves, beginning in 1986, with a newer part in 2000. As well as plants for sale, there are crafts and garden ornaments, ornamental hypertufa pots and obelisk sets, and 25 visitors can be seated under cover, for tea or coffee and biscuits ($2 per person).

There are two ponds, one in a paddock with waterlilies and ducks, the other with goldfish. Water-loving plants, subtropicals and banana palms surround them. Two large glasshouses are a feature in the centre of the garden, one with collectors' plants, including rare aloes and agaves, and the other with a cacti and succulent collection. An Ariocarpes repusus is 30 years old, and has grown to seven centimetres (three inches) in diameter. The main spring features include Japanese wisteria on a pergola, camellias, azaleas, in garden rooms, and the purple “Spanish shawl” creeper everywhere. Roses predominate in the summer, and the succulents are an all year-round feature. There are also native plantings in the bromeliad area, which provide shade over the ferns. Shell paths wander throughout.

Directions:

From Auckland, take North-West Motorway. Then take Lincoln Rd exit, and turn right into Universal Drive. Turn left into Swanson Rd, right into Metcalf Rd, left into Simpson Rd, right into Candia Rd, & left into Coulter Rd. Greenacres is 3rd house on the right (approx 5 mins from motorway).