About the Festival

The Heroic Gardens Festival was established to raise funds for Auckland City Mission’s Herne Bay House which provided care and respite for people with HIV/AIDS. For 15 years it showcased gay and lesbian-owned gardens and the garden creators.

Herne Bay House has since closed, and from 2009 the money raised has gone to Hospices of Auckland with this year’s funds going directly to Mercy Hospice Auckland. The festival now includes gardens created by both the GBLT community and other supporters of Hospice.

A major feature of the festival is that the owners/creators of the gardens are present for visitors to talk to and ask questions.

As a special feature, this year we are delighted to include six large well-established Coatesville gardens along with the usual mixture of smaller city gardens in modern and traditional styles.

Supporting Mercy Hospice Auckland

Over a half of a million dollars has been raised for local charity since the Festival’s inception. Our aim is to raise over $50,000 for Mercy Hospice Auckland in 2012, with your support this can become a reality. Mercy Hospice Auckland provides care for people in the Auckland District Health Board area living with terminal illnesses and supports their family and friends. Hospices care for the whole person – their physical, emotional, spiritual and social needs.

It doesn’t matter who you are or what you believe in, hospice care is free of charge. Visit the Mercy Hospice Auckland website at: www.mercyhospice.org.nz