For being located on such a busy road, Sunhill Garden Centre is surprisingly peaceful. Perhaps it…read moreis the tree-bound setting combined with the trickle of the water features that distracts you from the sound of traffic, I don't know. But what I do know is that Sunhill Garden Center has a really great wide range of plants, from perennials and succulents to dwarf shrubs and citrus, which are all clearly labelled and well organised in the garden out the back. You can also pick up Oakdale Organics vegetable and herb seedlings starting from 3.99 each or 3 for 10, which seems to be a good deal. Inside you will find all sorts of gardening supplies and also plenty of gifts, such as potted plants, ornaments and various gardening accessories. And if you have a little one with you, then Sunhill has arranged for that too, with a small playground at the back overlooking the Apirana Reserve.

Yesterday was the first time I've visited Sunhill in 20 years. Amazing and beautiful, and really…read moregreat service from helpful and knowledgable people. I'll be back! Rose, Epsom

A new garden centre based on Universal Drive in Henderson. It's got a great range of plants and…read morestuff for the garden but probably the best thing about it is the cafe. It's got a light airy feel to it and green decor gives it a funky vibe. As regards the food, it is excellent and I quite surprised how good it was as I wasn't expecting all that much to be perfectly frank. I got a the 'Big West Fest' which was as hearty and filling as the name implies. My other half went for the baked eggs which she too thought were really good. I was further pleasantly surprised by the coffee which was also very good. We sat outside and though it was Saturday afternoon, there was a relaxed vibe there. I reckon this place would be more popular if more people knew about it. Personally, I think this cafe is a bit of a hidden gem and I am looking forward to having brunch there again at some stage.

I was walking down Ponsonby Road the other day and as I passed through the Three Lamps shopping…read morecentre I was drawn to this florist. The flower arrangements were beautiful. Just a tiny store, most of Ponsonby Flowers' flowers are displayed on the street. And I love it. The arrangements brighten up the entire block of shops and definitely work to attract customers! Sunflowers, gerberas, tulips, roses - Ponsonby Flowers has a great variety of flowers available and the prices are really reasonable. Plus, the couple that own it are absolutely lovely. When I stopped to smell the roses - literally - the woman came out of the store and stood with me chatting about the nice weather and her favourite flowers. She was delightful, and it was obvious she has a genuine interest in flowers and enjoys her job - something that can't be said by many. Next time you're after a bouquet of fresh beautiful flowers, go to Ponsonby Flowers. They can help you put together a lovely arrangement, it won't cost you an arm and a leg and you'll have a delightful conversation with the owners. Ponsonby Flowers is the complete package!

Very friendly and helpful staff, who will create a nice bouquet from the flowers on display.read more

Beyond beautiful blooms. We ordered a selection of large vases and large casket topper for our…read moremother's funeral. The flowers, colours and compositions were outstanding and we were blown away by the skill and artistry from Flower Wholesalers. With gorgeous large purple hydrangea, hot pink gerberas and stock of the deepest raspberry the selection was truly impactful and WOW. Would highly recommend them to anyone who needs the best possible display.

My wife is an avid floral designer, and has recently completed a tough three week course in…read moreBrisbane. So she is all excited about getting stuck into the creation of bouquets, bunches and table displays. We normally cruise to the market to get the flowers we need, but when time is limited, then we head to Takapuna's premier florist and flower wholesaler. Their stock is limited, but there is normally enough to create a masterpiece that will bring tears to the eyes of the recipient. I like to tag along, as they can make up bunches to order, and for a guy on the move, I'm always using the visits as a good excuse to get gifts for all the staff who've done me favours in recent days. So our visit is a win win situation. The staff are helpful and friendly, and the shop is easy to access from the motorway, plus there is always parking right in front.

There is a really lovely saleslady at this Palmers who is super friendly, very funny and has a…read moresidekick, her personable Jack Russell dog. Together they take care of the client's queries, mine included, and tend to the garden centre. I really love them and wish I too could bring my pooch to work. This is a well-stocked Palmers garden centre with a huge nursery with seedlings, trees and pot plants for your home garden. Their vegetable seedling trays are in great condition, not spindly and over the mark as you will find in some establishments. I particularly like their gifts in the show room and have picked up a thing or two for friends and family here. Yes, they do gift wrapping.

Honestly it is quite a drive out to the Kaipara coast but this is a beautiful part of Auckland, we…read moreare lucky to have places, out of the way that are just stunningly natural. This is how all plant centres would of been if they were not planted amongst suburbia. I like the drive down from the main road, through a gravel road, and through native flora and fauna. The staff are friendly and local, the centre is full of beautiful plants and flowers to beautify your garden, lots of decorative art for the garden on sale as well. The centre has attached to it a little canteen, which had a lovely lady working on the till, she made us devine coffees and fluffies, and because of the luscious smell had to purchase a few of her brownie biscuits she was experimenting with. The seating area is quite substantial, and even has a kids corner with a massive blackboard for the kids to draw on. Very relaxed and chilled surroundings, and a wonderful place to potter around and find some delightful new additions for the garden. I like this place a lot.

This is a fantastically run store. Halfway through me rummaging through their super-bargain bins,…read moresomeone (customer or employee, I can't remember) knocked over a display of water bottles and everyone in the store rushed to help. Everyone. People gave up the treasures they were clutching in their grubby hands and ran over, and let me tell you, there are some considerable bargains here. This is the kind of goodwill this place gives. There are great deals, great bargains to find, cool stationery, hilarious greeting cards and just a well laid out store. This is what I want my Urban Outfitters gifts section to be like, but they've decided to turn up their nose at me. A lot of the designs run heavy on Paris, New York and skeletons - this is not a complaint. This is me wanting to buy a mini iPad so I can have one of their "Paris, je t'aime" iPad skin. I love it here.

I am currently on a mad stationary/ general homewares spree, for no particular reason, just because…read moreI can really and Typo on Queen street ticks all the boxes for me. There's lots of cool little knick knacks available that you don't see elsewhere (well not for these prices anyway) While the goods are evidently mass produced in some third world country, if your a trade aid groupie, probably best not to shop here. They are constantly having sales on already reduced prices which you can't really complain about. I have found many canvas prints at Typo that are currently hanging out pride of place in my apartment and little lantern fairy lights that just look awesome hanging in my bedroom

Kikki K is only losing one star because I feel the place is a tad expensive for what it is. Yes the…read morestationery is beautiful, quirky, cute (depending on what one chooses) and of quality. But still. I bought numerous items on their most recent sale and loved all the goodies with a 30% or 50% markdown. The service is always friendly and the girls working there now recognise me. It's worth noting Kikki K also holds organisation and happiness workshops. Great place to go shopping for gifts.

A wander through the Britomart precinct is incomplete without a visit to Kikki K. It's the…read moreclassiest stationery shop in Auckland by a million miles. The staff here are friendly and seem to have an idea of the very specific way that true stationery officianados need to revisit each item in the shop about twelve times per visit, as they make their mental lists of which pencil is cuter, which noteboook is the ideal size, which illustration best sums them up as a person. I'm not being mean! It takes one to know one. The only thing I would advise against at Kikki K is asking for too much assistance. I made that mistake and it kind of just made a hard decision harder, with all the options the sales assistant showed me.