Meet the gardener!

The rebel gardener

Amanda Clark @mykiwilife
Palmerston North

What type of gardener are you? I’m always looking to push the boundaries and bend the rules to find what works best in my garden.

My garden: An urban backyard garden consisting of raised beds and containers.

Who inspired you to start gardening? All the mothers in my life who have inspired and motivated me to start my own garden.

What do you love most about gardening? I love the mix of being out in nature and working with my hands. Planting things that will not only feed us but also the pollinators and birds that visit the garden.

My favourite plant right now: I’m really enjoying broccoli as it grows best for us in the cooler months. It’s nutrient dense and I love finding uses for as much of the plant as I can. 

Top gardening tip: Never skip fertilising your garden. Feeding when you plant and then setting up reminders on your phone to keep on a consistent schedule will help ensure big harvests!

The cheapskate gardener

Arthur Erickson Guillen @kalearthurerick
Auckland

What type of gardener are you? I'm the cheapskate gardener!

My garden: a relaxing space where sustainability and food productivity come together to support our household.

What inspired you to start gardening? Among the many things that inspired me, I learned that when you sow a seed, it can grow to a cycle of feeding and nourishing your family while also contributing to nature's health.

What do you love most about gardening? As a cheapskate gardener, there's nothing more rewarding than enjoying fresh fruits and vegetables after all the tending that goes into growing them.

Your favourite plant right now: Blood Orange for fruit, Daikon Radish for vegetable.

Top gardening tip: Cheapskate Tip! Focus on growing the edibles you buy and use most often. That way, your garden becomes your own mini grocery store.

The binge gardener

Mel Edwards - Tui Territory Manager
Lower South Island

What type of gardener are you? I'm a 'binge gardener'. I love a big weekend project then may not be out there for a month!

My garden: It is totally random but has all my favourite things!  Proteas, succulents and Daphne up front.  Fruit trees and vege garden at the back. Plus a fernery and pongas to the sides.

Who inspired you to start gardening? My Mum, she is a wealth of knowledge. She worked in nurseries when I was growing up and I'd work there in the school holidays and loved it.

What do you love most about gardening? the satisfaction of growing and eating your own food.  It always tastes ten times better.

My favourite plant right now: My Daphne is flowering at the moment and smells amazing, but my proteas are my pride and joy.

Top gardening tip: Grow what makes you happy (and fertilise when you need to).

the sow to eat gardener

Todd Clarke - Tui Territory Manager
Lower North Island

My garden is: ornamental and also a lot of fruit and vegetables.

Who inspired you to start gardening? My grandparents were definitely my inspiration. I've worked in the industry for most of my career, taking a break while in the UK, before returning to horticulture when I came back to NZ

What do you love most about gardening? It's so rewarding for a lot of reasons, from starting a plant from seed or cutting and watching it grow. It's the perfect way to slow down and relax after a busy week.

My favourite plant right now: It would have to be tomato. I always grow way too many plants, so friends and family benefit from getting plants for their gardens. It's very hard to beat getting up on a Saturday morning, go out to the greenhouse and pick a tomato for my toast!

Top gardening tip: water properly, it is the life blood of your plants. Watering time is also a great opportunity to give your plants a liquid feed every two weeks.