A collection of stories from the Tuahiwi farm.
St Johns Wort Oil
St Johns Wort (hypericum) Oil is very special and one of my favourites. Every year I am always delighted when the yellow flowers produce an amazing deep red healing oil.
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Delicious Rose Powder
I love rose powder. I love everything about it – I love growing the roses, I love making the powder and I love using the powder in my botanical skincare products.
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Harvesting Licorice Root
Growing plants is an investment in time and growing licorice to the point of being able to use it, takes a long time - 3 to 5 years in fact - from seed to harvesting the licorice root.
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Growing Tulsi
Growing tulsi outdoors in Christchurch is probably easier than growing basil outside. It requires a warm, sunny, sheltered place with water (not so much water as basil).
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Growing Coriander
Coriander can be surprisingly difficult to grow in summer. It is much easier to grow in the cooler months of winter and early spring.
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Using Plant Based Oils
I admit it now, I am a total convert to using plant based oils on my skin. I just love the way the oil makes my skin feel and look.
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Evolution of a Garden
In June 2014, I started with an empty paddock to create my new Herbal Garden.
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Lifestyle Block Article
Jenny Sommervell from the New Zealand Lifestyle Block magazine attended one of my workshops in December last year and then has written this article.
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Helichrysum
Infusing Helichrysum italicum flowers (otherwise known as curry plant) has been an interesting experiment for me.
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My Amazing Honey
I just got my honey back from Jeff (the man who manages the hives for me) and it is the most beautiful, dark amber colour.
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Chamomile
I harvested my first German chamomile (Matricaria recutita) flowers today and really enjoyed it.
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Tea Blends
The tea blends that I make and sell are highly personal to me.
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Spring Flowers
I know Spring is well under the way when I find the first flowers of Hawthorn and Elder.
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Harvesting Valerian
This is not a plate of pasta, it is actually freshly harvested valerian root.
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Wonderful Nettles
Spring is here, or it was last week and my stinging nettles are growing really well.
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Herbal Infused Oils
This photo is of fresh calendula petals, rose petals, lavender flowers and red clover petals before being infused in almond oil to make Massage Oil.
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Pacific Blue Lavender
I harvested the first of my Pacific Blue lavender yesterday.
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