orchard and garden
With over 90 mandarin trees in the orchard guests can enjoy the many seasons from fragrant blossoms to heavy orange fruits lighting up the garden. Each season brings it’s many pleasures and delights. The property also has several varieties of fig trees, plum trees, feijoas, apples, pears and persimmon trees, loquats, olives and lemons.
Along with the various vegetable, salad and herb beds we are able to offer a fresh selection of produce from garden to plate. We are in the process of extending our herb and vegetable gardens to provide more produce directly to the café for you to enjoy! We try to cook by the seasons so don’t be surprised if you don’t find tomatoes in the middle of winter.
Excess fruit is used to makes chutneys, relishes and sauces and sold through the store. Our edible flowers are used to adorn your plates, in salads and to decorate the cabinet.
Our garden includes a small playground for children and a spring free trampoline. We have resident hens that help us with a permaculture approach (and provide our own family with eggs!) and every year we adopt orphaned lambs as part of our Colenso family. Although previously well know for our resident donkeys, Katie and Molly-Rose, the girls have been re-homed to an environment more suitable for them. Unfortunately with all of the rain that the Coromandel has had and the muddy soft ground, Katie & Molly-Rose’s health was being impacted. The girls now reside on the Hauraki Plains with other donkeys and hard ground (better for their hooves and health!).
A bird lovers paradise, watch out for our resident family of quails, pheasant, tui, wood pigeon, waxeye and fantail. Kaka have also been known to visit to feast on the fruit. Feel free to bring your camera and lenses!
