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

Emma Sage | Sage Journal
At The End of The Lane — Kōtare Estate

Kōtare Estate lies at the very end of Lane Road in Havelock Road. Although only a stone’s throw from the heart of the Havelock North village, its setting provides a blissful disconnection from the rush of life, coupling perfectly with the vision Pip and Mathias Robbie-Gödert had to share their home with others.

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Slow Growing — Katie McHardy

Katie McHardy is on a journey to educate herself and others about the Slow Flower Movement – encouraging people to support the local economy by buying seasonal and locally grown flowers. Having recently returned to Hawke’s Bay she is tying her environmental and floristry passions together by establishing a sustainable cut flower garden on her family’s coastal farm in Aramoana.

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How to: Create a Pollination Garden

A home garden is an increasingly important piece of the puzzle of our planet’s ecosystem. Creating a vibrant and nourishing place for bees and other beneficial insects is easy to do, and effective in even the smallest of spaces.

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How to Grow: Strawberries

Strawberries are super easy to grow and harvest, taking up little space in your garden. They are a ground cover plant and spread rapidly with their runners.

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How to Grow: CORIANDER
How to grow & care for coriander
Arguably the most polarising of herbs. While some are mad about this lemony addition to dishes, others are utterly perturbed by its presence. Whatever your preference, there are a few tricks to growing it successfully through the seasons.
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How to Grow: TANGELO

This messy-to-eat citrus fruit is known for its juicy flesh, and balance of sweet and tart flavours - the culmination of its mandarin and grapefruit relatives. They have few pips and most varieties are easy to peel.

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