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 12+ 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 six 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.
And in spring 2025, we brought Sage Journal to print.
It is a publication where knowledge – especially the kind passed down through conversations in the garden – can be shared and preserved.
Sage Journal aims to continue these discussions with our ever-growing, like-minded community, and we want you to be part of them.
When architect Aaron Paterson and his wife Kate renovated their Auckland villa, reworking the garden was always in the plan. Together with landscape designer Xanthe White, they shaped an abundant, accessible space – designed with wheelchair movement in mind – that prioritises colour, flow and connection to the house.
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.
This cleverly designed Melbourne garden has been influenced by the contours of the land and its surrounding plantings. The result is a palette that favours softness, connection and a sense of gentle continuity.
Don’t let the cooler weather put you off getting outside. Winter is the best time to plant and prune deciduous trees and shrubs. And there's plenty in the edible garden to do!
We’re here to defend the honour of the long- misunderstood rose and its high-maintenance reputation. As the team at Matthews Roses knows well, just a little love goes a long way… and keeps the blooms coming.
May is a last chance to give the garden a good tidy up before temperatures plummet – lots of weeding, feeding and protecting. It's also the last chance to get your spring bulbs in, and a great time to plant veggies for spring harvest in the veggie patch.
How do you create a romantic cottage garden – with all the charm you would expect – while also facing the realities of hot summers and limited water? Landscape designer Ashley James shows us how careful planting can deliver beauty that stands up to the elements.
Just outside Havelock North, with views to Te Mata Peak, Farnworth Farm is a working property where organic garden and farmland are being shaped together. Under head gardener Carla Pick, the garden is a gradually evolving landscape.
Your edible garden will be starting to overflow, with summer harvests readying. Watering will become essential for those with vegetable gardens, young plants, grass that you want to keep green and especially for your potted plants.
Wedding flowers are usually sourced from growers and florists, but Liv Wynne-Lewis decided hers would come from the soil of her parents’ Hawke’s Bay farm.
Located in Hillcrest, Auckland, this garden blends Aotearoa and Asian influences – evolving and transforming since Wayne and Rama first bought the property in the early 1990s.
A textured, free-flowing garden in Hawthorn that brings natural beauty and subtle urban influences together, creating a distinctive family retreat inspired by New York’s High Line.
Overlooking Tauranga’s Wairoa River Valley, this restored 1930s home combines historic charm and modern comfort, featuring English-inspired gardens, a travertine-paved pool area, 17 potager beds and expansive river valley views.
At Clifton Glamping, Tom and Lucia Gordon balance luxury accommodation with their dedication to sustainability and reforestation, creating a unique retreat immersed in nature.
Take a walk through the garden-to-table experience that is St Georges Restaurant - a family run affair where ingredients are sourced direct from the gardens onsite.
Paula Kelly, gardener at Pegasus Bay Winery, transforms its grounds with decades of horticultural passion and experience, creating stunningly beautiful gardens in North Canterbury.
For Jannine Rickards, gardening is more than just a hobby, it's a connection to her whakapapa—a practice steeped in tradition, sustainability and spirituality. As a winemaker and the founder of Huntress Wines, Jannine weaves her love for the land and her passion for kai (food) into every aspect of her life.
For Camilla Jørvad, the surrounding environment of her new home profoundly influences her, sparking a desire to transform the garden into a sanctuary of beauty and abundance.
In the quaint settlement of Lauder, Central Otago, Gillian Swinton and her partner Hamish have cultivated a lifestyle that seamlessly blends their love for gardening, hospitality and rural living.
In the North Canterbury country town of Amberley reside quantity surveyor Keeley and chef Jen Pomeroy – two garden enthusiasts whose journey into gardening reflects a deep-rooted connection to family, food and community.
In the farming town of Seafield in the Ashburton District, Stevie Young’s garden stands as a testament to a dedication and passion for simple and sustainable living.
A comprehensive guide for gardeners when it comes to dealing with rats and mice in the garden (or inside!) — in partnership with Goodnature.
Rodents are part of the not-so-glamorous side of gardening and tending to the land. They love your edible harvests and compost bins — and, particularly in autumn, they're looking for shelter and food to stash for the colder months ahead.
It was a new pool and pool house that sparked a total landscape renovation for this hilltop Napier garden.
The couple wanted a property that not only suited the way they live and entertain but that complemented the enthralling view, which stretches from Māhia Peninsula across to Cape Kidnappers.
