
Free Articles


Steamed eggplant with spicy sauce drizzle
This is an extremely simple dish that’s packed full of flavour. It’s great to cook during peak eggplant (aubergine) season in the garden. There's a homemade chilli oil recipe here too!

Asparagus & Lemon Walnut Crumble
The asparagus season is short, so make use of the season with a nutrient-laden crumble you can whip up in 10 minutes.

Fat Hen & Cashew Cheese Tart
A commonly foraged vegetable throughout the world, fat hen is a good source of protein, fibre, calcium, magnesium, potassium, vitamin C, vitamin A and trace elements, making this vegan tart — which uses both the seeds and leaves of the plant — highly nutritious.
Members-only Articles

Japanese wineberry: where and how to grow
Japanese Wineberry thrives in forest margins and produces tasty morsels of delicious flavour. Anna-Marie Barnes introduces a hardy bramble suitable for those who like plants that look after themselves.

Underground interactions: how roots communicate
They may be out of sight, but Dr Charles Merfield tells us what science is beginning to understand about the complexity of root interactions.

The battle for the future of food
Jon Carapiet outlines why the push for automatic acceptance of unproven technologies that have the potential to irreversibly contaminate our food and environment (aka GE) is the wrong direction.

Preparing for winter: organic gardening tips and tasks for autumn
Autumn is traditionally viewed as a time for winding down the food garden, but it doesn’t need to be that way. With a cost-of-living crisis on our doorstep, Diana Noonan gives practical advice on adopting a waste-free approach to harvesting and preparing a garden that will provide fresh produce throughout the chilliest (and priciest) periods of the year.

Hydration: more than water
We have all heard we should drink water, but Laura Hett dives into the intricacies of cell hydration that can keep us looking, and feeling, young and healthy.

The benefits of Vitamin Sea
As we chase modern life, do we forget the powerful and potent benefits of nature? Simply going to the beach can have profound effects. Zara Adcock explains how the surf, sand, and sun affects our spiritual, mental, and physical health.

Blooms for change with Rebecka Bjelfvenstam Keeling
Rebecka Bjelfvenstam Keeling is not just a grower and a champion of local seasonal flowers; she is also an educator with a strong commitment to cultivating a greener tomorrow

‘Tis the season of bounty: summer gardening tips
School holidays, trips to the beach, and a house full of visitors – all great fun – but not so helpful when it comes to finding time for a garden in full swing. Diana Noonan shares labour-saving techniques so you can keep on top of the garden chores while enjoying the summer and the culinary delights it produces.

So let’s talk about GE
Pro-GE lobbyists are saying we need to have a ‘mature’ conversation about genetic engineering. Originally they claimed it would solve world hunger, now they are claiming it will mitigate climate change. Philippa Jamieson logically and ‘maturely’ refutes their greenwashing.

Dispersing the myths of methane
Are burping cows really to blame for global warming? Dee Pignéguy delves into the source and cycle of methane to reveal that it is not so simplistic – and there are other culprits that should concern us more.

Insects in your garden: Beneficial or bad?
Insects are a vital component of a spray-free garden. But which ones? Duncan Smith describes what various insects do, why you need them, and how to get them.

The wonders of water
It’s prolific, peculiar, fundamental, and all too often, unappreciated. Dr Charles Merfield marvels over the properties of banged-up stardust and explains why it is essential to life on Earth.

Going underground to the root of it all
Roots, the essential ‘engine room’ of a plant, is the determining factor of health and growth. But roots may not be where you expect. David Whyte delves down into how our trees behave underground.

Contaminated ground water in New Zealand: The causes of and solutions for nitrate leaching
Tests are showing a high percentage of New Zealand’s ground water is contaminated at levels that pose a serious health risk. Rebecca Reider outlines the cause and potential solutions.

Elderberry: where and how to grow, maintenance, and uses
If a plant should have multiple uses to justify itself, the elder is overqualified. Anna-Marie Barnes describes the uses of this hardy and robust plant that is easy to tuck into every hedgerow or shelterbelt – even if just for the insects and birds.

Spelt: the benefits and challenges of an ancient grain
An ancient grain that’s enjoying a modern revival is being grown organically near Bulls in Manawatū. Theresa Sjöquist talked to Harry Russell-Bowen of Ratahi Farm about the benefits and challenges of growing spelt.

Summer is here! The trick to getting abundant berry crops and other organic garden tips
Summer is such a waiting and watching period. All the hard work of spring is about to come to fruition – if we protect and nurture our precious plants and their ground crew. Diana Noonan shares her experience of growing food organically and reminds us, as we tinker in the garden, to enjoy the riot of colour all around and to marvel at how the earth, the essence of life, really can bring forth food in abundance.

Studying the benefits
An ambitious new study looks at nutrient-dense food production in New Zealand. Many growers and their customers believe biodynamic and organically-grown food has specific health benefits. Kete Ora Trust is undertaking research here in Aotearoa New Zealand that compares the nutrient density of food produced...

Summer is here! Berry crops and other organic garden tips
Summer is such a waiting and watching period. All the hard work of spring is about to come to fruition – if we protect and nurture our precious plants and their ground crew. Diana Noonan shares her experience of growing food organically and reminds us, as we tinker in the garden, to enjoy the riot of colour all around and to marvel at how the earth, the essence of life, really can bring forth food in abundance.

How-to: urban composting with bokashi, worm farming, and more!
Recycling plant matter into plant food is half of the cycle of life. Kaitlyn Lamb describes how this can be done on any scale, in any place – even the most urban situation.