Our Land

A former fine-arts student finds his muse in providing Aucklanders with organic produce.

Rachel Rose has helped to plant almost 5000 trees in the past two years. These are the best trees to grow and ones to avoid.

If you’re a bit bored by cabbage for your winter garden, its ‘cousin’ kale is a great-looking, great-tasting alternative.

Buying seeds from overseas can cost you and New Zealand a pretty bad penny.

Poo is a useful indicator of flock health, and a possible early warning sign of an illness if you know good poo from bad.

It's time to get your cool-weather veggies into the ground.

Pomegranates can be grown from seed, but you need to be patient.

Farming for the Whole Family

It is not only the merino that is able to thrive under the New Zealand high country conditions, but inter-generational family entrepreneurship, with one such family setting new standards that we should all be inspired by.

The Magic of Growing

Surrounded by Broomfield’s stony farmland is a property that grows a surprising array of colourful blooms, creating a scene reminiscent of an impressionist painting.

When two artisan gin-makers wanted to source the best organic botanicals, they created a very special garden.

A couple, seeing the wood within the trees, set out with a long-term vision for a new home and an alternative forestry industry.

Learn from those who've done it on how to repair and restore a past wetland that can help save the world from climate change.

An easy guide to understanding the pollen value of plants.

Dreaming of living in a tiny home? From refurnished boats in Whanganui to views of the Auckland skyline, the space is small but the ideas are bigger than ever.

A willow might not be an obvious pick for your block, but it certainly could be the most ingenious.

It’s completely inedible when raw and dangerous to cut up, with a heady, perfumed scent that is completely at odds with its appearance. Sound like your kind of fruit?

Many plants, such as heirloom varieties, produce seeds that can be collected one year and sown the next, ensuring they are saved for future generations.

If you’re dealing with a paddock that’s a boggy mess in winter, it was probably once a wetland.

They’re fussy, but tamarillos are a tangy treat, and prolific if you know the secrets to high production.

This special type of charcoal made from waste wood will enrich your soil and help save the planet.

With the ground still warm from the hot months, autumn is the perfect time for planting.

If you love a plate full of colour, why not try planting some of the more bright winter vegetables?

Understanding rural etiquette can make for a more peaceful life on the block.

Nothing beats the melting succulence of a fresh, ripe, well-grown pear.

An expert grower explains why some fig trees just don't grow fruit.

Research is showing that the biodiversity of your land is more important than ever.

Whether it's for a dose of native foliage or to hide an unsightly fence, livings walls can be a fun (and surprisingly easy) way to flex your green fingers.

Getting along with your neighbours can make country life that bit more special.

After almost 30 years on their block, this Ohoka couple are brimming with wisdom for wannabe block owners.

Fresh flowers will make the transition into the colder seasons much more do-able.

Life's too short to be fussy over a lawn, it's time to let nature take its course.

Food writer Kristina Jensen celebrates a special couple and their favourite tomato.

No amount of heat can stop one's dedication to the garden.

Two management consultants have exchanged the corporate world for a country life dedicated to sharing the joy of mushrooms.