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Here, you’ll find stories that explore and celebrate the beauty of places and people found within green spaces. Plus, loads of practical gardening advice and how-tos.

Books, People

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 —

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Books, Recipe

Recipe | Zucchini Arancini

If you are seduced into planting lots of zucchini, unsurprisingly you will have lots of zucchini to use up — this is for you.

Arancini are Sicilian and southern Italian, and a similar recipe in Rome is called suppli. This version, made purely from grated zucchini, is a uniquely New Zealand garden version.

Recipe by Bri DiMattina, from Nostrana

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Books, Recipe

Recipe | Polenta & Corn Fritters

This corn fritter recipe has been one of Bri DiMattina’s family’s favourites for years. It is easy to sub in any other vegetables. Once fried, the ‘crust’ tastes a lot like popcorn, and then it’s just full of goodness.

Recipe by Bri DiMattina, from Nostrana

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Books, How-to

A Beginner’s Guide to Foraging — A Forager’s Life

Helen Lehndorf is a life-long forager and Manawatū-based writer. In Helen’s latest book, A Forager’s Life, she seamlessly weaves memoir with foraging principles, practices and recipes. It’s an intimate story and a promise that much can be made of the world around us.

Here you’ll find a snippet from Helen’s helpful appendices: A beginner’s guide to foraging.

Words from A Forager’s Life by Helen Lehndorf

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Books, How-to, People

How to: Create a Thriving Edible Backyard — Kath Irvine

Kath Irvine is a renowned organic gardening and permaculture expert and author. Through her writing and consults, she helps people create productive, beautiful and, most of all, easy gardens. 

In this interview, Kath shares her gardening wisdom, including the importance of starting small, slowing down, taking notice and following your intuition.

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Books, How-to

Planting in Guilds: Permaculture Guild Combos

A guild is a team of plants that support, protect and nourish each other, working together for the benefit of all. A guild creates stability and best health because the variety of plants above brings a variety of roots and soil life below. The carefree, wild look belies a carefully crafted, low maintenance, smart garden.

Words by Kath Irvine, from The Edible Backyard

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Books, People

Christall Lowe: Our life of kai

Christall Lowe (Ngāti Kauwhata, Tainui and Ngāti Maniapoto descent) is a Manawatū-based food stylist, photographer and recipe developer. In this interview Christall shares what was behind the creation of her book — Kai: Food Stories & Recipes From My Family Table, along with stories of her wider family’s plentiful edible garden, and the effect of nature has on her creative practice…
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