
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



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.
