1. Wellies n Worms
Your Hosts: Carole & Rob Booth
Address: 59B Brois St, Frankleigh Park, New Plymouth
Property Size: 570 m2
Purchases Available: Hand polished gemstone pendants
Opening Hours:
Fri 1 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Sat 2 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Sun 3 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Mon 4 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Tours, Talks & Demonstrations:
Talk: High density fruit trees, 11 am & 3 pm on days open.
Property Tours: Informal tours on days open.
Property Description:
Carole & Rob have a 4 year old 200 m2 urban garden with no lawns and high density fruit tree planting - 31 different types and varieties of fruit in this small area! Four 1000 l water tanks collect water for the garden. They make liquid fertilizer and have homemade stackable compost bins, & worm farms to build soil nutrition for nutrient dense food.
Carole loves to encourage nature into their garden. Flowers and veges are let to self seed to encourage beneficial insects, give beauty, and provide free vege seedlings. Bird baths, bee saucers, a bug hotel and coconut feeders for waxeyes further support biodiversity. This is a great example of a small urban section that is awesomely productive & alive.
2. Taradise on Budleigh
Your Hosts: Sharon Jones
Address: 50b Budleigh Street, Frankleigh Park, New Plymouth
Property Size: 2000 m2
Purchases Available: Crafts
Opening Hours:
Sat 2 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Sun 3 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Sat 9 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Sun 10 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Tours, Talks & Demonstrations:
Talk: Espaliering fruit trees, 2 Nov at 11 am
Demonstration: Creating cinder block raised
beds, 9 Nov at 11 am
Demonstration: Making beeswax wraps, 3 Nov at 1 pm
Property Tours: Informal tours on days open.
Property Description:
Sharon’s garden is 2000 m2 of mature trees, flower and vege gardens, and fruit growing areas. Well-hidden in the middle of the city, the garden is situated and elevated perfectly for sun.
Sharon grows chemical free and has wonderful wildlife, including birdlife and skinks. Her compact vegetable growing area includes a green house, shade house, tumbler compost bins, bees and chickens. Sharon’s many fruit trees are espaliered down the long driveway, making good use of space. She loves to seed save, preserve surplus food, make beeswax wraps, share knowledge of beekeeping and often hosts HelpX tourists to help on her property.
Sharon is a key member of Taranaki Timebank, who will be hosting a stand at the property during the Trail. Find out more about Timebank at www.taranaki.timebanks.org
3. Freeman Farms
Your Hosts: Carl and Kati Freeman
Address: 99 Frankley Road, Frankleigh Park, New Plymouth
Property Size: 1200 m2
Purchases Available: Vegetables and seedlings
Opening hours:
Sat 2 Nov, 1 pm - 4 pm
Sat 9 Nov, 1 pm - 4 pm
Tours, Talks & Demonstrations:
Property Tours: on the quarter hour on days open.
Description:
This ex-state house on a quarter acre block has been transformed into a thriving urban farm in just 2 years. Growing over 25 types of fruit and vegetables to sell at Farmers Market every Sunday, this is an inspirational example of what’s possible in any backyard using productive techniques, organic inputs, creativity and backed by a supportive local community.
The property features 50 highly productive five meter vegetable beds, a seeding area and seedling nursery, hot house, fruit trees, chooks, ducks, bees, berries, mushrooms, composting and a worm farm. Carl and Kati are experimenting with a new take on the original “quarter acre dream” in the middle of New Plymouth. As well as providing all their own vegetables and herbs, they estimate that from this garden and another 250m2 urban plot they grow on that they provide enough vegetables each week to feed around 50 families.
4. Nga Toanga o Peacehaven
Your Hosts: Ruth Smits and Yvonne Van Lent
Address: 15 & 17 Peace Ave, Moturoa, New Plymouth
Property Size: 4000 m2
Purchases Available: Woven Harakeke items
Opening hours:
Sat 2 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Sun 3 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Sat 9 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Sun 10 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Tours, Talks & Demonstrations:
Demonstrations/Workshops: Karen Clark of KareNZ Kitz and other weavers will be running continuous workshops throughout open days
Property Tours: Informal tours on days open.
Description:
Hutia te rito o te harakeke,
Kei whea te kōmako e kō?
Kī mai ki ahau;
He aha te mea nui o te Ao?
Māku e kī atu,
he tāngata, he tāngata, he tāngata
Nga Taonga o Peacehaven is a place of well being that encompasses the physical, emotional, spiritual, and the ethos of co-operation, to ensure the environment is paramount. This creates a unique living ecosystem in an organic setting.
There are many flourishing sub tropical species integrated to grow in harmony with indigenous plants, including numerous banana and pawpaw. The natural springs (te puna waiora) flow into ponds providing habitat for native fish and plants species. Incorporated within the extensive grounds are up-cycled vegetable gardens and beehives to assist with pollination. Both property owners co-operate together with respect and Te oa Maori philosophy to embrace nga taonga of Papatuanuku and Tane Mahuta. As in the past, this philosophy is relevant now to sustain a healthy life within a natural environment - the seeds of sustainability are deep within Peacehaven.
If the heart of the harakeke was removed, where will the bellbird sing? If I was asked what was the most important thing in the world; I would be compelled to reply, It is people, it is people, it is people.
5. Te Moeone Community Garden
Your Hosts: Glen Skipper, Kenneth Taiapa & Cordelle Rei
Address: 11 Cody place, Waiwhakaiho, New Plymouth
Property Size: 0.6 hectares
Opening hours:
Sat 2 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Sat 9 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Tours, Talks & Demonstrations:
Talk: Growing kumara, 11:30 am on days open
Property Tours: Informal tours on days open
Description:
What started out as an idea to grow some strawberries and tomatoes for their children has turned into a full scale marae garden. The garden has an inter-generational focus, sharing knowledge and skills with the aim of having ongoing benefits for future generations. A key focus is using the gardens as learning spaces, as a Whanau and community hub, and to create signature food experiences for visitors to the marae.
The first garden conversion areas started out with a cut ‘n’ burn approach, a borrowed rotary hoe and a shoe string budget.
Permaculture principles, as well as traditional processes and techniques, continue to be trialed and refined as their confidence and experience grows.
Gardens now include the use of a no-till approach, wood mulch and recycled pallet gardens. The gardens are at multiple stages of conversion and production, and they eventually hope to establish more perennial crops, fruit and nut trees, and native bush species. Seed used is predominantly heritage varieties. The team are focused on localising vegetables seed lines, with the aim of growing nutrient dense food and being self-sufficient in seed production.
6. Moturoa School
Your Hosts: Stefan, Luka, Ilaine, Kaya, Maia, Richie and Eóin
Address: 45 Pioneer Road, Moturoa, New Plymouth
Property Size: 1.6 hectare
Opening hours:
Tues 5 Nov, 1 pm - 3 pm
Thurs 7 Nov, 1 pm - 3 pm
Fri 8 Nov, 1 pm - 3 pm
Tours, Talks & Demonstrations:
Property Tours: on the quarter hour.
Description:
Moturoa School is a Green-Gold Enviroschool. To gain this required demonstrating active commitment to 5 key areas: diversity, sustainable communities, sustainable learning, empowered students and Maori perspectives. These are considered when planning and developing the curriculum.
Activities undertaken as part of being an Enviroschool include in class recycling and zero waste projects, vegetable gardening, creating a rain garden, planting a school orchard, worm farming, and native tree propagation as part of the Trees for Survival program. The school undertakes plantings on the coastal walkway using the plants they have grown and do regular beach clean ups at Ngamotu beach.
7. The Tall House
Your Hosts: The Burwell-Heard Family
Address: 26 Glenpark Ave, New Plymouth
Property Size: 700 m2
Opening hours:
Sun 3 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Sun 10 Nov, 10 am - 4 pm
Tours, Talks & Demonstrations:
Property Tours: 11am, 1pm, 3pm on days open.
Description:
With clever design, this garden nurtures itself - kitchen greywater feeds a banana and taro mulch basin, before seeping under the chook straw yard (where compost is made), collecting nutrients to feed the vege gardens downhill! This greatly reduces the amount of water required for the garden, while feeding the garden effortlessly at the same time.
The chook straw yard too has a key task. Having decomposing organic matter 40cms deep, it provides a large proportion of the chook’s food needs. Mulch for fruit trees and vegetable beds is grown on site, and uphill of the house there is a grove of mini avocados and citrus. Mature fruit trees jostle for space with a baby subtropical food forest.
8. Eco-Gran’s Retreat
Your Host: Tricia Thompson
Address: 76 Clemow Road, Fitzroy, New Plymouth
Property Size: 514 m2
Purchases available: Seedlings and plants
Opening Hours:
Sat 2 Nov, 10 am – 4 pm
Wed 6 Nov, 10 am – 4 pm
Sun 10 Nov, 10 am – 4 pm
Tours, Talks & Demonstrations:
Talks: Integrating chooks in the garden, 2 Nov at 2 pm
Maximising space in an urban garden, 10 Nov at 2 pm
Property Tours: Informal tours on days open.
Property Description
‘Eco-gran’ Tricia Thompson’s garden is a small urban space jam packed with food every which way you look! At just 514m2 you will be surprised how much productive goodness she has going on, using espalier and vertical spaces to maximise production.
She tells us she has ‘conquered the lawns’ and created a wilderness of fruit trees, berries, herbs, edible weeds, flowers, raised veggie beds, chook gardens and yards, a worm farm, bee hove and a tumbler compost bin – a productive backyard ‘farm’ in the suburbs.
Tricia has a special interest in using hens as garden helpers. They prepare garden beds, weed specific areas that she creates with mobile fencing, and help compost garden and household food waste to make rich soil to return to the garden. Spread around the garden are bins with homemade teas of seaweed and comfrey to use as fertilisers. Tricia is passionate about having some food to pick from the garden every day of the year. She bottles, dries and preserves produce to use at other times of the year, and for gifts and barter. She has future plans for a roadside ‘barrow stall’ and neighbourhood ’little library’ at the roadside.
