At the house where I grew up, we had Japanese Honeysuckle growing wild all around. My brother and I loved it and would pull the flowers off and suck out the sweet nectar. The flowers have a lovely scent and we’d often pick handfuls and put them in vases inside. Only later as it took over more and more of the garden, did we realise it was an invasive weed.  New Zealand is known around the world for its breathtaking landscapes and unique biodiversity. You only have to take a walk through our native bush to appreciate how special it is. There are a number of threats to our beautiful environ ..read more

There are so many parallels between taking care of ourselves and taking care of a garden – in a lot of ways we are very similar. As living organisms, we share a lot of the same needs. We want to be healthy, vibrant and strong, to be able to face every season with confidence, knowing that we have what it takes to get through it and come out the other side better off. If there is one attribute we need in our modern world, marked by so much uncertainty, it is resilience. This concept of resilience applies not only to us, but also to our gardens. A resilient garden is more than just a collecti ..read more

Matariki signals the Māori New Year that begins with the rising of the Matariki star cluster that emerges in the middle of winter. It’s a time for remembrance – remembering those who have passed during the year; celebrating the present – gathering to celebrate the present with feasting, games and joyful activities; and looking to the future – planning for the year ahead. Planting during Matariki As Matariki approaches, it also signals the time to start thinking about our food plantings for the coming year. Three stars of the Matariki cluster, Tipuānuku, Tipuārangi, and Ururangi, are importa ..read more

You might not be able to get out into the veggie garden every day in winter – some particularly cold days are best spent indoors! But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy some fresh, homegrown produce every day. While cool temperatures and frosts can slow down growth outside, inside is another story. With the right approach, you’ll be able to successfully grow herbs throughout the winter season.    With the right approach, you can successfully grow herbs inside throughout the winter season. Your indoor herb toolkit Like growing outdoors, growing herbs indoors requires certain condition ..read more

Words and Photography by Julia-Atkinson-Dunn Are you a first-home buyer or do you have someone in your life who has recently purchased their first home? If so here is some great advice for tackling the garden at your new home. Tips for making informed choices My gut feeling is that most first-home buyers are not experienced gardeners. From my own perspective, I can say that ploughing time and money into a rented outdoor space outweighed the benefits of getting into growing. Understandably, it’s far more appealing to build a home with pieces that can be packed up and taken. On arriving at a fr ..read more

Words by Kath Irvine, Edible Gardener @edible.backyard There’s no better way to nurture our bodies through winter than with nourishing soups from the garden. A few well-chosen crops, some stored summer produce, and delicious soup is minutes away. Here are my top five winter soup-pot crops. They’re all easy to grow, and suit small spaces and containers.  Dwarf celery There cannot be good soup without celery! Those of you put off growing celery because it’s too big and needy will be delighted with its smaller cousin. Dwarf celery stalks are small, but also crispy and tasty. Pick stalks fr ..read more

Words by Jane Mahoney and Sophie Bannan Phoebe and Dave Atkinson’s gardening practice is deeply entwined with their family and community. Twelve years on from purchasing their Forrest Hill property, the garden and their gardening ideology have expanded to include a seedling stand as well as the community garden. Their two beautiful children are involved in every aspect. For as long as Phoebe can remember, she’s been drawn to gardens. If she ever came across some kind of structured productive space, she gravitated there. Her early years were spent on a classic quarter-acre (1012-square metre ..read more

May is autumn’s last hurrah, days are shortening and nights are getting cooler. There’s lots to enjoy in the garden this month and it’s the last chance to get those bulbs in the ground before it gets too cold. Prep your soil. If you were still harvesting in April now is the time to dig in compost and sheep pellets before planting to replenish nutrients used by previous crops. In warmer climates plant beetroot, bok choi, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, coriander, garlic, kale, lettuce, mesculun, onion, parsnip, parsley, peas, radish, rhubarb, rocket, silverbeet, and spinach ..read more

Words Kate Flood. Photography Honey Atkinson. Kate Flood aka Compostable Kate is happiest when she’s teaching people about compost or is elbow deep in the stuff. She’s a compost nerd and sustainability educator, and she’s on a mission to help others step-up their household waste management. Her book, The Compost Coach, is a guide to creating the very best compost and is pitched at the home composter, including people who live in apartments and houses with or without gardens (yes, you can compost without a garden!). She explains what compost is, what it does and how to slow compost, which is ..read more

Kitchen gardens, often referred to as “potagers” in French, have a rich and diverse history dating back centuries. Their origins can be traced to the medieval monasteries of Europe, where monks cultivated herbs, vegetables, and fruits within the confines of their cloisters. These early kitchen gardens served both culinary and medicinal purposes, reflecting the intertwined nature of food and healing in the past. Over time, the concept of the kitchen garden spread across continents and evolved to suit the needs and preferences of different cultures. In colonial America, for example, kitchen gard ..read more