
Emma Sage
Hey, I’m Emma.
The camera-shy editor and founder behind Sage Journal.
I come from a line of gardeners, always able to call my mum or nana to chat about what to plant where, figure out why a plant is turning up its toes, or to see if there’s a cutting going spare. I know not everyone is this lucky.
When we bought our first house twelve years ago, I quickly realised what a struggle it was to find local garden inspiration and advice. I wanted relatable stories, aspirational projects, and connections with knowledgeable gardeners — both new and old.
So five years ago, I started Sage Journal. To share stories of hands-in-the-dirt, soil-on-the-clothes gardeners. People who are sometimes failing, often succeeding, and always asking questions.
My aim was to create Aotearoa’s most trusted gardening resource. Now, with a large local following, and growing engagement from Australia and beyond, we’ve not only become the home for gardeners, but for design lovers and nature-inspired creatives too.
This year (spring 2025) we are bringing Sage Journal to print.
It will be a publication where knowledge — especially the kind passed down through conversations in the garden — can be shared and preserved.
Sage Journal will continue these discussions with our ever-growing, like-minded community, and we want you to be part of them.
With love and dirty fingernails,
Emma Sage x



Living mulch: A smarter way to garden

A winter garden gathering | Celebrating 5 years of Sage Journal with Kath Irvine

10 best hedges & screening plants for privacy and beauty

June Gardening Guide | Winter Gardening

Late autumn gardening | A quick task rundown

May Gardening Guide | Weeding, feeding & protecting

March edible gardening | What to plant & harvest in early autumn


Gifts for Gardeners: Gift guide for your favourite green thumb

December Gardening Guide | Summer Gardening

A family garden in Melbourne that was inspired by a previous life in NYC

Sold | Tauranga property with English-inspired gardens and river valley views is on the market

A landscape of luxury and legacy | Clifton Glamping

Garden-centric cuisine | St Georges garden-to-table restaurant

The Pegasus Bay Gardener | Cultivating the expansive grounds of a North Canterbury winery

Nurturing the land | Jannine Rickards on gardening, winemaking & kaitiakitanga

Seaside serenity | The island farmhouse with English-cottage & modern-wild gardens

The Fairytale Garden | An enchanting family garden in Melbourne

The Central Otago homesteader who grows, harvests, preserves & hosts tourists

From urban plot to rural refuge | The Pomeroys’ journey to country living & abundant gardening

A Mid Canterbury edible garden designed for hospitality & self-sufficiency

How to get rid of rats and mice in the garden

Pool plans that sparked a landscape renovation for this hilltop Napier garden

Cloudy & contemporary — A timeless, lawnless Melbourne garden
An entrance way garden that gives visitors a reason to stop, and take a moment to breathe, before stepping through the front door.
Designed by BWLA.

Te Whare Māra: The Garden House — Pōneke Wellington
Te Whare Māra - The Garden House - blurs the lines between landscape and architecture. This Wellington garden exemplifies landscape design that boasts beauty, sustainability and meaningful spaces to inhabit and enjoy.
Designed by local.

How Chelsea Thorpe blends landscape, creativity & comfort | Black House Studio

Flavours From My Italian Kitchen Garden: Bri DiMattina
Recipe developer and gardener Bri DiMattina’s book, Nostrana, sets out to rekindle the joy of the home garden and kitchen. Nostrana means homegrown, ours; growing food with the intent of sharing it with others.
In this interview Bri shares her keys to starting and enjoying the edible garden journey —

18 Flowering perennials that bloom all summer long
There is something magical about a summer garden that boasts colour, texture, wild-life and long-lasting florals. One of the best (and easiest ways) to achieve this is with perennials — and particularly perennials that flower all summer long.
