Discover & Learn

naton

It is easy to think gardening is the most natural wholesome thing in the world as it predominantly involves plants, soil, water and sunshine. However, gardening has a dirty little secret – there is an insidious layer of the unnatural lurking in many gardens. Often times this comes as a legacy from a time when innovation and improvement was prolific and new ways were considered better than the old-fashioned techniques.

Nothing leaves the property

Our first rule is nothing leaves the property. We do add material from elsewhere at times but no organic matter leaves the garden.

Coming up: Roses!

Summer is showtime at the Lady Norward Rose Garden in Wellington’s Botanic Garden and despite the challenging wet winter and spring which, like many gardens, left this one with much higher than normal soil water levels, the show promises to be gorgeous.

Using Organic Matter in Gardens

How we deal with what we call our “carbon deposits” during the growing season and how these techniques might help you as gardeners deal with some of the more difficult gardening spots on your properties 5 Min Read

Guest User 30/11/23 Guest User 30/11/23

Using Organic Matter in Gardens

How we deal with what we call our “carbon deposits” during the growing season and how these techniques might help you as gardeners deal with some of the more difficult gardening spots on your properties 5 Min Read

Victoria Read 8/10/23 Victoria Read 8/10/23

Te Parapara Garden

The Te Parapara Garden project is a joint project between Nga Mana Toopu and Hamilton City Council. It extends beyond a physical development to include records of traditional knowledge, interpretive material and ceremonies all focused on the heritage and tikanga associated with the local area.

Half Light Studio 7/10/23 Half Light Studio 7/10/23

Sustainability in Gardens

Like so many things in our hyper connected world, the word “sustainability” is bandied around and applied to almost any human activity whether warranted or not, think greenwashing…….. I would like to outline my thinking on sustainable gardening by firstly asking the question; What does it mean in my context? 5 Min Read

Victoria Read 12/03/19 Victoria Read 12/03/19

Leave those leaves

Autumn is a favourite time of year not just for the visual feast of rich colour and those beautiful drawn-out sunsets, but for the prospect of all the organic matter that is about to become available. It is this time of year I start to plan where leaves will live out there second and third lives. 6 Min Read