by Julia | Nov 30, 2020 | General
Purslane Portulaca oleracea is growing rapidly now that the summer temperatures are rising. Many New Zealanders don’t know or value it. It’s been seen as a nuisance weed that grows in our paths, flower or vegetable beds, without realizing its hidden benefits one of...
by Julia | Oct 31, 2020 | General
What is sea kale? For starters, sea kale (Crambe maritima) isn’t anything like kelp or seaweed and it will grow far from the sea. Sea kale is a halophytic plant (meaning it tolerates high levels of salt) in the brassica family. It is a perennial also known as...
by Julia | Sep 16, 2020 | General
This year of 2020 has been a very unusual with the lock-down time and borders still closed and all the unexpected effects on our lives. For me it has resulted in a greater interest in the wild edibles in book and seed sales and workshop attendance. See upcoming ones...
by Julia | Jun 27, 2020 | General
In this article I want to share a little from a captivating book I’ve just read called ‘Wilding’ by Isabella Tree. It is about Isabella and her husband Charlie Burrell returning to nature an uneconomic cropping and dairy farm of 3,500 acres on marginal land (clay...
by Julia | Apr 26, 2020 | General
We’ve never had a situation like we’re experiencing in NZ and globally. I see it as an opportunity to draw on our strengths and resilience to work at keeping our spirits up and looking for the positives coming out of this. Avoid fear and worry as they weaken our...
by Julia | Mar 8, 2020 | General
“Weeds in Defense of nature’s most unloved plants” by Richard Mabey published, 2010 by Harper Collins is a really lively and fascinating tale of history and botany. Plantain Plantago lanceloata & Plantain major have a long history I learned in this book. They were...
by Julia | Jan 31, 2020 | General
Happy New Year! This is my first blog for 2020. Its going to be a fantastic year! We in the Bay of Plenty, N.Z., are experiencing exceptionally hot and dry weather which is tough on vegetables but not on those plants we call ‘weeds’. I am amazed how my unmown lawn...
by Julia | Dec 5, 2019 | General
I usually write about edible weeds that we can safely use and include in our diets. This time I’m talking about two common plants in our gardens that are not good to eat. However, don’t disregard them as they have other values. Firstly there’s Milkweed, Petty...
by Julia | Oct 31, 2019 | General
Daisies are thick in lawns at the moment, mostly in shadier spots in lawns, untended places and parks. I’ve recently seen huge thickly flowering patches in Yatton Park in Greerton, Tauranga where I went walking with our visiting Australian family. Claire my 15 year...
by Julia | Sep 30, 2019 | General
You know onion weed is there if you walk through a patch or mow it as it lets off a strong smell of garlic or onions. It’s flourishing now in September in NZ and my little patch of it has just sent up beautiful bell shaped flowers (that look similar to snowflakes...
