Over the first half of 2026, Hospice Mid-Northland’s gardens and grounds continued to change through an extraordinary amount of volunteer mahi and local community support.
Garden edging, autumn planting, mulch and post peelings, weed matting, fruit-tree planting, pergola construction, garden-waste removal and ongoing maintenance have all helped make the Hospice grounds more welcoming, practical and peaceful.
A peaceful place to pause and remember
The new pergola above the remembrance chair has created a sheltered place where patients, whānau, visitors and members of the community can sit quietly and remember loved ones.
It is a visible expression of what community support can achieve: a thoughtful space built through practical skill, donated materials and many hours of care.
More than 490 hours of weekend volunteer mahi
Between January and June 2026, 18 weekend gardening volunteers contributed more than 490 hours of labour.
That total does not include the additional hours contributed by weekday gardening volunteers. Together, these volunteers have given their time, physical effort and commitment to planting, edging, mulching, maintenance and improvements across the grounds.
Hospice Mid-Northland is deeply grateful to every volunteer who has helped care for these spaces.
Local businesses lending a hand
The work has also been strengthened by local businesses willing to provide materials, discounts and practical support.
Carters Waipapa, with help from Mike and Jordy, provided discounted timber stock for garden edging. Cottle Hill Plant Nursery provided a discount on 13 plants purchased during autumn, while PlaceMakers Kerikeri supplied discounted timber for construction of the pergola.
Mt Pokaka Timber Products donated approximately 14 cubic metres of post peelings and offered additional material if required. Our thanks go to Hadley Todd and the wider team for that generous contribution.
Waipapa Landscape Supplies has provided ongoing discounts on supplies purchased using garden funds and accepted six trailer loads of garden waste free of charge. Thank you to Nick and Verena Smith for their continuing support.
Wool.life donated wool weed matting for the 2026 planting programme. We are grateful to Gareth Mentzer and the Wool.life team for helping make the planting work more sustainable and manageable.
Generosity from local residents
Community members have supported the gardens in many different ways. Anthea Barton donated five fruit trees to the Food Forest project in May 2026, while residents from Kerikeri and surrounding areas purchased plants to support garden fundraising, made cash donations and offered practical help.
Roy Hill has made his trailer available for approximately 18 months and brought valuable building expertise to construction of the new pergola.
Thank you
Hospice Mid-Northland’s gardens are cared for spaces where patients, whānau, visitors, volunteers and staff can pause, connect and find a little quiet.
To our 18 weekend gardening volunteers, our weekday gardeners, the businesses that donated or discounted materials, and every resident who bought a plant, gave funds or lent a hand: thank you.
Your support has brought these gardens to life.