Abundant Landscape Design

26/05/2026

Persimmon trees (Diospyros kaki) are generally planted for their delicious, orange sweet fruit. Some people claim they don't like persimmons and upon delving further, I learn its because of one unfortunate experience of biting into an astringent persimmon that puckers the mouth and taints the palette.

Who could dispute however the beauty of a Persimmon tree for its glorious form and seasonal colour. This tree is an astringent variety, approximately 40years old and can live to 800. Every day I love it.

Save persimmon seeds to grow your own persimmon trees.

Do you have a special tree that you love to love? Please share it with us.

25/04/2026

Hello ALD followers, its been a long while since I posted.

What does Autumn mean to you? Really, I'm curious to know what you are upto in your garden and in general. Please say Hi :-)

I've been pruning back all my biomass to make anaerobic compost and am sowing green manure crops heavy in Broad Beans for nitrogen fixing in the soil which activates microbiology in the soil and anticipation of Spring protein harvests.

It looks like we are getting Araucana chickens!!! unsolicited advice is welcome!!!

BIOMASS
Biomass plants for composting or used as a mulch can be species like: canna lilies, bana grass, ensete banana, comfrey, red clover, nasturtium, nettle, tansy, alfalfa, shungiku and include cover crop species such as chicory, daikon, oats, rye, lupins, buckwheat, vetch, phacelia, mustard & faba beans. The greater the diversity of plants & the deeper the roots the better as each root system hosts a unique community of microbes, aerates the soil and as plant roots die they become microbes food.

- Comfrey, known as knitbone is powerful medicine and deep rooted miner of minerals like phosphorus. Great for garden edges, activating compost and infusing in oil with mugwort for making balm for sprains and fractures.

Let me know if you'd like to buy comfrey plants as I'll be digging some up soon. $15 for a good clump that can be further divided.

23/11/2025

Last workshop of the year: @ Māra Tui Community Garden

GARDEN FERTILITY
Saturday 29th
1pm - 3pm
$5-10 koha pp

09/10/2025

MONDAY 13th OCTOBER - 10.30 - 11.30AM
PLANT PROPAGATION WORKSHOP - CUTTINGS
PROCTOR LIBRARY - KERIKERI

Do you have vacancies in your garden to be occupied by new plants? Whether you're a beginner or experienced, please join us on Monday for a fun hour of plant propagation from cuttings. Learn all the tricks so you can grow your own plants to fill those garden spaces.

Bring a clean, sharp knife or secateurs
Plant material to share - top 30cm
A friend
Your smile

I look forward to you joining me.

30/09/2025

PATIO POTS REFRESHED with FODDA FERTILISER

ALD uses only quality 'wholefood' products that supports the soil food web to grow healthy plants.

My GO TO bought soil amendments are made by our very own local business FODDA. Created in collaboration between passionate owner Dianne Pilcher and soil consultant Andreas Kurmann. Not only do I love supporting local but we share the same values and these are demonstrated through the quality of their 'General Fertiliser' and 'Soil Enhancer' products.

"Unlike synthetic fertilisers, Fodda works with nature, nourishing the soil’s tiny helpers (microorganisms) to create a thriving, fertile, and sustainable garden ecosystem: fewer chemicals, more goodness."

Sign up for their informative newsletters which include seasonal garden advice and soil health insights.

Fodda can be purchased through their website and select retailers throughout Kerikeri.

https://www.fodda.co.nz/

29/09/2025

SPRING PATIO POT REFRESH 🌸

We clean your pots, empty them out, add new soil enriched with organic fertiliser and microbiology, re-position them, plant them up and tidy up the area around the pots as needed.

*SPRING SPECIAL*

For every three pots booked in → get the smallest pot refreshed for free. If you book in six pots → that’s two of the smallest pots refreshed for free.

✨ Fresh, quality soil boosted with nutrients and planted using biology-first practices

✨ Repot existing plants or choose seasonal plantings for colour, resilience and abundance.

✨ Each pot individually cared for and planted with love

💡 Every job is unique — estimates provided individually.
We charge by time and materials so you only pay for what your garden truly needs.

Call Anna to discuss your Patio Pot needs - 027 283 6662

25/09/2025

Seasonal Supplement 01 SPRING (newsletter)
Inaugural release, there will be one created for each season.
(Best viewed in browser window)

Inside you will discover:
- Seasonal Journal - Winter Reflection
- Nature Medicine - Cleavers edible W**d profile
- Three October Workshops on Plant Propagation, Creating a Medicinal Garden and Foraging
- Patio Pot Refresh Service - Spring special - for every three pots booked in your smallest pot is refreshed for free :-)
- Why I choose Fodda fertiliser to amend and enhance soils

Blessings to you for a Spring of Abundance

https://mailchi.mp/20b7e4961efe/seasonal-supplement-spring-01-2025

15/09/2025

Two weeks into Spring and the tips I share are still valid.

I am creating my very first newsletter - which I'm calling a Seasonal Supplement. If you would like to receive it please PM me your email. Be warned, I like to write so it will be wordy... Like so, here is my intro:

My heart overflows with Aroha and Respect for Papatuanuku, our earth mother. I wonder and revel in the rich diversity of climates, landscapes, ecosystems and all animate and inanimate life forms that exist within her realm. This overflow prompts me to write, to capture musings, observations, share seasonal wisdom and practices, explore what it means to be kaitiaki, provide guidance on biology first gardening, nature medicine, positive localism, to invite you to workshops and yes inform you of my offers, as this is still under the guise of my business ‘Abundant Landscape Design’ although I like to think of it more like a Abundant Landscape Mutual Appreciation Collective.

My hope is that these seasonal supplements inspire you, provide connection and nourishment, invoke new perspectives and at least provide a little amusement.

Here goes...

Upcoming post from the Seasonal Supplement will be on a valuable Spring edible w**d called Cleavers. It emerges just on cue to support your body with an internal Spring Cleanse.

Anna Dadson encourages observing your garden before planting.

26/08/2025

We had a really lovely group attend Saturdays Strawberry Workshop at Mara Tui Garden.

Here are 6 strawberry growing top tips:
1. Strawberries are heavy feaders - Prepare your strawberry bed in advance with compost made ideally with additions of manure, seaw**d, and fertiliser (I like Fodda) so it is a whole food for the plants. Once planted foliar feed them monthly on the full moon.

2. Plant your strawberry babies 30cm apart and don't let them get cramped. As they start to develop babies, remove them. Pot some up then give the rest away or compost them.

3. Cover the ground with a mulch like straw. This helps retain water, suppress w**ds and protects strawberries from touching the ground which can cause them to brown and rot.

4. Strawberry plants should be replaced every 3-4yrs. Remove old ones and replace with the babies. Keep cycling them.

5. Every few years dig up your strawberry bed and move them to another prepared garden bed. This is crop rotation.

6. Paint some little rocks to look like strawberries. This tricks the birds. Take extra precaution and cover your garden bed with bird netting.

Next workshop at Mara Tui Garden is Saturday 20th September on Banana Growing with Alistair. Very good, I attended last year.

21/08/2025

We got rained off last Saturday. So hopefully this Saturday is sunny and entices you out to enjoy an afternoon with us creating a new strawberry bed. You'll even get some strawberry plants to take home for your plot.

19/08/2025

Strawberry workshop was rained off last Saturday. Hopefully this Saturday 23rd August allows us to proceed.