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Katherine English in her garden with spears of Verbena bonariensis in the foreground

Books, Gardens, People

The florist’s garden | Katherine English’s multi-layered Ōtautahi Christchurch garden

Topping her much-loved cakes with homegrown flowers was the motivation behind baker Anna Worthington’s garden. Now her sprawling garden, with colour as a central thread, is a creative outlet of its own.

The verandah | An Australian way of living

Just about everyone must have some old photographs tucked away, of family, friends or relatives enjoying life on a verandah somewhere in Australia. They might be taking tea, enjoying a meal, spending time with pets and family, or just having a drink on a balmy summer afternoon...

Recipe | Capsicum & cannellini panzanella tray bake

What you’ll love about this tray bake, besides the ‘set and forget’ of it, is that you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry.

Recipe | Chat potatoes + green beans + smoked trout + B ’n’ B pickle dressing

‘Chat’ potatoes, as they’re known in Australia, are new-season baby potatoes that hold their shape well. Use them in a late spring / early summer potato salad, where fork-sized bits of everything good to eat and good for you come together with a delicious dressing.

Recipe | Hawker-style red curry eggplant noodle soup

Rich, warming and packed with flavour, this recipe from Weeknights by Alice is a midweek-friendly take on a laksa-style broth.

Recipe | Layered spanakopita

Instead of a coil, this is a lazier, more village style of spanakopita, but it still has the filo layers to give that classic bite and feel.

Recipe | Turkish grain salad

A grain salad is super nutty from the toasted seeds, with pops of sweetness from the currants, and a vinaigrette to bring it all together. It’s a wonderful all-rounder.

Toutouwai / robin | The bushman’s friend

With the karure / black robin winning Aotearoa's 2026 Bird of the Year, we take a look at the history and meaning of New Zealand’s robin – with Robert Vennell, Song of the Birds.

Recipe | Roasted cauliflower, quinoa + smashed green olive salad

The perfect pack-and-go salad, ideal for lunches, pot-lucks, lunch and dinner. High-protein quinoa and golden roasted cauliflower form the base, along with pops of salty smashed olives, toasted almonds and a generous amount of herbs.

Recipe | Lemon + oregano roasted potato salad with feta + rocket

This is a lovely substantial salad that travels well, which is a bonus over the summer months when pot-luck dinners are peaking!

Recipe | Fennel, orange + halloumi salad with chilli honey dressing

The classic pairing of finely shaved fennel bulb with orange is not one that will ever go out of fashion! Here I’ve boosted the flavour further with an Aleppo pepper-flecked dressing.

The standalone “cookhouse” is an entertainment area with wonderful garden views in Canterbury garden

Elemental design | A Canterbury garden designed for weather extremes

Creating this Canterbury garden meant factoring in weather extremes, while also designing around a central entertaining pavilion, anchoring it to the surrounding landscape

Lucy and Jacob's garden wedding in Lower Hutt - Sage Journal

Books, Gardens, People

Growing together | Jacob and Lucy’s garden wedding

A year before their vows, Lucy and Jacob Sheehan were carving terraces into their sloping lawn, with a garden wedding in mind. The space now continues to evolve, thriving with native plants, vegetable beds and fruit trees.

Books, Guides, How-to

How to: Charles Dowding’s no-dig gardening

Natasha Morgan breaks down Charles Dowding's no-dig gardening practice of building and protecting healthy soil as a living structure.

A simple spring guide to growing vegetables | Early spring gardening tips with Sarah O’Neil

Spring gardening – What to do now, how to get started and seed sowing advice from vegetable gardener Sarah O'Neil (Sarah the Gardener)

Passionfruit & coconut bombe alaska

Recipe | Passionfruit & coconut bombe alaska

Traditional alaskas use a cake, but this one has crunchy coconut cookie scattered throughout and swirl some jammy passionfruit too!

Honey-poached quince

Recipe | Honey-poached quince

If we cook a quince less than usual, to golden yellow with a burgeoning blush of palest orange, the fruit has fresh-flavoured charm with soft acidic notes, similar to fresh poached pears or cooked apple.

Flourless almond & mandarin cakes

Recipe | Flourless almond & mandarin cakes

Natalia Paull's twist on Claudia Roden's OG orange and almond cake recipe.

Strawberry and White Chocolate Shortcake recipe by Allyson Gofton

Recipe | Strawberry & white chocolate shortcake

As featured in GIVE by Allyson Gofton, this sweet and indulgent strawberry and white chocolate shortcake is a must-try. Recipe by New Zealand fashion designer Biddie Cooksley.

Aubergine, Garlic and Date Chutney recipe by Allyson Gofton

Recipe | Aubergine, garlic and date chutney (Brinjal chutney)

A richly spiced aubergine, garlic and date chutney, perfect alongside an Indian meal, on a platter or however you choose to serve it.

Cherry Tomato and Chilli Jam recipe by Allyson Gofton

Recipe | Cherry tomato and chilli jam

A sweet and spicy cherry tomato and chilli jam recipe from New Zealand fashion designer Vicki Taylor.

Groundcovers and low growing plants like Stachys byzantina ‘Big Ears’ (lamb’s ear) and Viola hederacea (Australian violet) are used to soften the transition between spaces.

Finding the flow | A garden in Melbourne’s CBD

A once-disjointed Melbourne garden has been reimagined with distinct functional zones, layered planting and better connections between spaces.

Plant files: Plants worth knowing

Discover some of the most interesting plants featured throughout Sage Vol. 1, and perhaps find some inspiration for your own garden.

The green room | An art-filled inner city cottage garden

This inner-city cottage now opens seamlessly onto its new garden – a lush haven with a pond, striking sculptures and hedges for seclusion.

The vista at Flaxmere, across the garden and up to the magnificent mountain range.

The long view | North Canterbury’s Flaxmere garden

For nearly six decades, John & Penny Zino have called Flaxmere home, raising their family while gradually evolving the property from a working farm into the beautiful garden it is today.

Coastal Garden in Inverloch - Victoria Australia

A coastal Garden in Inverloch, Victoria

Inspired by the rugged beauty of Victoria's coastline, discover Phillip Johnson's 4-ha garden in Inverloch, featured in book: The Coastal Garden.

Spencer Falls of The Unlikely Florist in his flower studio surrounded by colourful cut flowers

Art in motion | The Unlikely Florist

At 18, Spencer Falls left his family orchard in Hawke’s Bay to pursue a creative life, spanning acting, sculpture and floristry, in the United States.

How to get the most out of your cut flowers | Conditioning for flower types

An extract from The Picking Garden: Grow and gather cut flowers for homegrown arrangements all year round by Jo Turner

Landscape overlooking regenerative farm and wildflowers at Wild Things Wānaka

Stewarding the land | Wānaka’s regenerative market garden

A novice grower turned market gardener, Caitlin Ovenden’s Wild Things Wānaka is a family-run farm that focuses on regenerative practices. Her varied produce is sought after by locals through The Farm Shop, and also features on restaurant plates across the region.

Recipe | Sichuan dry-fried green beans

Give your plain green beans a delicious makeover with this quick and easy recipe from Hong Kong Cult Recipes by Tony Tan.

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© 2026 Sage Journal Ltd. All Rights Reserved

© 2026 Sage Journal Ltd. All Rights Reserved