An opportunity to experience sustainable growing, from seed to table.
Come and learn or share your expertise.
We are located on the school playing fields of Kaiapoi Borough School at the bottom of Hilton Street by the railway line. The garden is open on a Weds 10am - 12 pm in the summer and 11am - 1pm in the winter.
The garden has a close relationship with the school and helps in the running of the Garden to Table programme which the school joined earlier in 2015.
Woodend Nurseries is a North Canterbury company established in 1985, boasting a passionate staff with 132 years combined knowledge and experience.We are one of the few independent nurseries left in the country under the leadership of respected nurseryman Stuart Hide. The company has expanded over recent times, with an extensive selection of high quality, locally grown plants on just over two and a half acres. We specialise in Fruit, Edibles, Shrubs, Trees, Hedging, Forestry and Shelter. We also have a range of Perennials, Annuals, Roses and Dry Goods. Our range of Fruit Trees, Edibles, and Deciduous Trees is the largest in Canterbury, so you will be sure to find just what you are looking for, or we can source it for you!
By dealing with us your local grower, you will be purchasing plants that we have produced ourselves and are hardened to the environment. We only grow the best performing varieties that are suited to our Canterbury conditions. In selection we look for autumn colour, pest and disease resistance, suitability to climate and soil conditions and the height of the mature plants, just to name a few. Other factors that we also take into consideration when growing a plant, are sucker prevention, early fruiting ability, sturdier and straighter growing plants, form and vigour. Woodend Nurseries also specialises in fruit trees, selecting varieties for their suitability of the Canterbury climate, pest and disease tolerance, pollinating ability, fruit quality and quantity.For all plants we strive to grow only the best commercial varieties, so you are choosing the very finest quality available, and we back that up with an in-depth level of expertise.
A community food forest provides an abundance of food for residents and those that wish to visit to gather – fruits, vegetables, herbs and medicinal plants by way of a layered permaculture companion planting system.
Imagine wandering through a flourishing forest where almost every plant is edible and all plants serve a purpose.
The Waimakariri District Council is going to lease 1.5acres of land to the Kaiapoi Food Forest Trust to develop a food forest.
A food forest functions as a healthy closed-loop ecosystem, with each organism playing a role. Each element of the system supports the whole. The many relationships happening in an ecosystem are imitated in a food forest which:
• builds soil and accumulates nutrients
• self-fertilizes, self-mulches, self-regulates
• produces food, fiber, medicine, materials, fodder and more
• Sequesters Carbon, offsetting climate change
• provides habitat for all living organisms
• supports pollinators and beneficial insects
• protects and enhances biodiversity
We want volunteers...if you would like to help please give us a call... or visit during our volunteer days which is most Wednesdays from 4pm till around 6pm