Chris’s garden is a departure from the designed gardens he creates in his professional capacity. Located on the edge of Huruhuru Creek, on the upper Waitemata and surrounded by reserve, this garden is city-sanctuary, productive food garden, plant nursery, garden laboratory, revegetation project and playground. It celebrates abundance, diversity and seasonal change. It teems with life, both seen and unseen. Organic soil husbandry develops an environment rich in micro-organisms; fruit and vegetable plantings produce food for people, hens, and insect life. Bee hives produce honey and the bees pollinate plants which also support communities of insects, butterflies and moths. Hens produce eggs and manure in exchange for food. An adjoining reserve has been an on-going weed, pest control and native planting project. All the elements interact by either contributing, benefiting or both. Water collected from the roof is used to irrigate the garden; compost tea is brewed and added to the mix. Comfrey is grown for compost. Ornamental plants are grown on the property to supply the landscape enterprise.The entry garden is a celebration of hot colour with annuals and sub-tropical plants combining to produce year-round colour.