Welcome to Rachael's Garden

In this article series we’re chatting with Kiwi gardeners, to discover what it is about gardening that brings them the most happiness and satisfaction.

We’ve all heard about the emotional and practical benefits a garden can bring, so we’d like to share some of that good stuff with you. We’ll look at some amazing gardens, listen to great advice, and ask happy gardeners to talk about their pride and joy.

This time we’re visiting Rachael Burgin.

Rachael is a hard-working mum who enjoys gardening for herself, on top of the benefits it brings to her family. Her gardening journey really began when Rachael purchased their classic quarter-acre section in urban Whangārei, 25 years ago. At first, Rachael says she "dabbled" in the garden planting roses and keeping things tidy, but having her children really ignited her passion for gardening.

The central focus of Rachael's garden is the needs of her family; this was a very natural evolution. When she took on the garden it had 'good bones', with existing guava and grapefruit trees and a feijoa hedge, but it needed care. Very quickly, a raised bed for vegetables was installed by Rachael's supportive husband Mike, when he found his heavily pregnant wife putting in some serious exertion to resurrect the neglected old garden! By the time their first son was ready for solid food, the revitalised garden was delivering fresh vegetables, grown with love.

Rachael gained real peace of mind from growing her son’s first meals herself, knowing everything that had gone into them. Even better, she discovered how much joy stems from the growing itself, and the time in the garden.

So naturally, the arrival of her second son two years later sparked the addition of a couple more raised beds. Before they knew it, three raised beds turned into five...and they were hooked. Growing food in the back yard became a family affair, with their then four-year-old asking for his own garden bed! By this point, 25 square metres had been given over to raised beds and planter boxes.

As tempting as it was to turn the whole yard over to productive gardening, the couple had one criteria: the garden wasn't allowed to encroach on the children’s play area. There had to be the space to ride bikes, kick a ball around, jump on the trampoline and just be kids. This explains why all the vegetable beds hug the fence and are positioned in low traffic areas.

In addition to the original fruit trees, Rachael has added more fruit trees, blueberries, passionfruit, strawberries in planters, grape vines and six different vining berries sprawling along fences and climbing frames.

The kids play areas and the edible gardens may be the priority, but the property doesn't miss out on flowers. A vibrant collection of bromeliads, including red and yellow pineapples, greet you when you first arrive, and the house is enfolded in flower gardens. The front of the house is home to Rachael's beloved roses and dahlias.

“The roses hold a special place in our family. They're always pruned on the anniversary of my Dad’s passing, which means I get roses on my birthday. It started as a coincidence many years ago, and turned into a tradition that we've kept going.”

Q&A with Rachael

Why do you love gardening?

“As a full-time working mum, the garden has always provided me with space to unwind and relax.”

"It's not unusual for me to get up before everyone else, or head out in the evenings to potter outside. This also fits into my ‘little and often’ garden philosophy."

What's your favourite thing to grow in the garden?

"I love to grow the slightly unusual. I'm lucky to have a family that's prepared to try new vegetables!"

What are you most proud of?

"That I exposed my children to gardening at a young age. While they aren't as passionate about gardening as they once were, I know they already have the skills to be successful gardeners in the future."

What's the most unusual or quirky thing in your garden?

"We started growing Luffa many years ago to see what they were like. We grow them now to use them in soaps and as body scrubbers. Our goal for this year is to grow enough to start turning them into products for the kitchen."

What do you struggle with?

"High humidity in the sub-tropical North means it can be a battle with mildew and blight and high rainfall tropical storms in summer. That's why we use sturdy growing frames to keep things off the ground as much as possible."

What do you do with the things you grow in the garden?

"We do a lot of preserving, especially with our tomatoes and berries...and share our excess with our friends, neighbours, family and work colleagues, even fellow campers over the summer holidays.

What's your favourite Yates product that you love to use, or swear by?

"Yates Thrive Natural Fish & Seaweed+ Plant Food Concentrate is my all-time favourite. I've sworn by this ever since my husband and I had a ‘tomato growing challenge’ and my plants were twice the height of his!"

If you were to start all over again, what would you do differently and what would you do again?

"I regret my decision to put stones in my front beds. At the time, I thought it would be a great way to avoid weeding."

What advice would you give someone starting out?

"Start small, with one or two gardens and see what you can manage."

"If you're doing it for financial reasons, look at growing easy things like cut and come again lettuces, spring onions and cucumbers."

What are your top tips for gardening with a busy schedule?

“As a full-time working mum, I find spending time in the garden is good for my mental wellbeing and I rarely see it as a chore.”

"It's easy to feel overwhelmed with gardening, especially if you work and have family commitments."

• The 'little and often' approach is much easier to keep things in check.
• Sometimes it can be hard to find those small windows of opportunity, but you'll eventually get there.
• Don’t be tough on yourself.

What advice can you give around taking a holiday in the middle of a growing season?

• The week prior to going away, give the garden a good side dressing of sheep manure (or similar) and mulch, to help maintain moisture in the soil.
• Put a drip tray under pots and buckets.
• Arrange help with watering while you’re away. Write a clear list of what needs watering and how often.
• Make sure everything is well staked. Have spare windbreaks and supplies ready, should anyone need it.
• The day before, give all plants a liquid feed and a final watering on the morning you leave.

Rachael’s top tips for December

• All the hard work is done...so sit back and enjoy the garden!

• Remove laterals on the tomatoes.

• Be on the lookout for any early signs of mildew and have Yates Nature's Way Fungus Spray handy.