Our Land

Ten years ago, a project began to improve the water quality of the Sherry River near Nelson, and there are a lot of practical lessons to learn from their hard work

Peter Cooke and Anna Moore are turning a lifetime's commitment to organic gardening and sustainable living into a retirement income.

Alpine strawberries are quite easy to grow, and very hardy in marginal lands, like shady forests and snowy alpine hillsides.

If you love to grow flowers and foliage, there may be some profit waiting for you.

When the owner-builders of one of New Zealand’s first hemp homes decided they also wanted to their toilet to have green credentials, they had to battle to get the loo of their dreams.

Kristina is trying to break her addiction to sugar and she's found there's a veggie on her side.

8 facts you need to know about soil

We summarise the results of 200 studies about soil so you can improve your soil biology.

Jenny Somervell selects the best lettuces to grow this summer (and the rest of the year).

If there’s no good spring flush, then find out why - there are always plenty of reasons.

It’s estimated that more than 40,000 of the 270,000 or so on-site domestic wastewater systems in NZ are at risk of failing.

A neglected grapefruit tree gets an organic makeover.

It can be expensive to plant manuka as a crop, up over $1000 per hectare so it’s not for everyone.

Lemon balm is easy to grow and requires little maintenance, apart from keeping it constrained.  Its relaxing properties make the tea useful as an evening drink to promote sleep, and it can also be used to treat colic, nausea, poor digestion, nervous headaches and to help prevent colds and flu.

As Liz Morrow sits and drinks in her environment, she sees an extraordinary place of which she is but kaitiaki — or guardian.

Some animals in an orchard are your friends and some are a definite no-no

Climate change research predicts that Canterbury and other rural areas in NZ will be hotter, drier places in the next few decades. Vegetation to prevent the spread of fire will become an important factor for many country properties.

It is a matter of the tragedy of the commons that we as small land-holders are individually powerless to make any difference in the declining state of the water quality of our local streams, rivers and lakes.

There are regular sandpits, and then there are the best kind: epic.

A flagship venture in the forests of Southland and Otago aligns commercial interests with conservation ideals

Our native trees are some of the most unique in the world, and so is the man who has dedicated his life to studying them and telling their stories, including his latest on the king of them all.

A little detective work reveals a common issue for anyone with bore-supplied drinking water.

One simple injection can be a life-saver for cold or weak lambs.

Whether home-made or custom-designed, having a large covered area in our climate enables us to extend our range of growing times and species.

Composting toilets are a sustainable waste disposal for the 21st century. Home owners share their experiences with the next generation of fuss-free, low-odour, environmentally-friendly waste systems.

thisNZlife’s Emma Rawson and Sarah van Boheemen from Love Food Hate Waste hitch a ride on an Auckland Council food waste collection truck and see, firsthand, how much food New Zealanders throw away.

Californian thistle is one of the most common weeds on NZ farms, and one of the hardest to kill off, but it is possible to do it without the use of chemicals.

A food forest can take up half a lifestyle block or be as small as an urban backyard and can create a resilient, self-sufficient garden that will feed you and your family all year-round.

Water, a precious resource, is at its most pristine in a spring-fed stream chuckling its way through the heart of Wanaka

This is one of the most under-rated greens and a great staple vege to get you through winter.

Things may go a little dull in winter, but there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy leafy greens.

A little experiment with a superfood has turned into a win-win business for a young farming couple.

The last thing Cathy Dickison thought she would be doing is turning her gardening skills into a dried herb business.

Red hot pokers (Kniphofia) are a welcome sight on a dull day in winter, or on any day at any time really.

Baerbel and Thomas Hack were so determined to set up a dream seaside location for horse lovers, they built a road.