Keeling's Quarter Acre
- Auckland
- Permaculture
- Spray Free
- Vegetable Garden
- Orchard
- Poultry
- Hillside Garden
Keeling’s Quarer Acre is a remarkable example of what can be achieved with limited time, space and resources—all whilst raising two gorgeous kids and starting a business!
On this halfacre hillside section in suburban Warkworth, Rebecka and her family have created an exceptionally productive and beautiful mini-farm. The garden, house, and relationship to the land and produce they grow are all deeply rooted in principles of permaculture and sustainability.
“Our vision was to set up a productive, warm and beautiful mini-farm with something to eat all year around for our family. Fun and social for kids and adults, and set up for self-sufficiency and resilience.”
The section was planned in ‘zones’ around their energy efficient, transportable home, with several energy and water-saving elements. Their four chooks, a “chicken tractor”, help to clear areas of the section, and by using a lot of recycled/upcycled materials, nothing left the property during the groundworks or build process.
“Within our first year we have planted over sixty edible trees and shrubs, set up Hugelkultur vegetable beds, a mini food forest, a young orchard, a small wildflower "field" and edible hedges all around. We have also incorporated kids' play areas such as a tree house and a bean tipi. We try out new varieties of dahlias and grow proteas, leucadendrons, specialty hydrangeas, and grow many types of bananas and other subtropical fruits such as cherimoya, inga beans, and avocados.”
Rebecka will be running workshops on a whole range of topics including composting, Hugelkultur, edible gardening, seed-sowing with soil blockers, banana growing, tea growing, and natural flower growing and arranging.
- Picnic Area
- Parking
- Refreshments
- Shop
- Steep incline
- Child friendly
Keeling's Quarter Acre Garden Visit
Price: $45.00
Duration: 1.5 hours
Capacity: 2 - 20 people
Check opening times and availability
Meet the Gardener
Rebecka brings a wealth of diverse gardening knowledge and skills to Secret Gardens, all based firmly in principles of permaculture and self-sufficiency.
Four years ago Rebecka and her partner left their high-stress jobs in Sweden, seeking a simpler life, living closer to nature, in Aotearoa. In that time she has since created two diverse, productive gardens, responding to the subtropical Matakana climate and the needs of her family. Rebecka’s quarter-acre hillside home garden is a beautiful, productive ‘mini-farm’ and in 2020 she launched Slow Blooms, a spray-free, pick-your-own flower farm.
Rebecka holds a Permaculture Design Certificate, a NZ Certificate of Horticulture, and has taken numerous specialty courses including banana growing, hot compost and biochar. She is a co-founder of Permaculture Mahurangi and a regular participant at Matakana Greenswap.
Rebecka’s passion and enthusiasm is infectious, and her knowledge is as diverse as her gardens, both of which are open for visits through Secret Gardens.
Our vision was to set up a productive, warm and beautiful mini-farm with something to eat all year around for our family.
Location
Warkworth, New Zealand
