Emily Davidow's enthusiastic garden experiments and explorations in Aotearoa New Zealand. More →
The First Tamarillos
Delighted to see the first tamarillos emerging like jewels from these fast-growing trees. The leaves have been attracting aphids, but they seem responsive to strong sprays of water shooting them off.
Read more →Growing Nutella and Candyfloss
This week, I am so excited to welcome an infusion of exotic plants: inga bean, chocolate gardenia, vanilla passionfruit, Chinese ginger, galangal and a dwarf date palm.
Read more →Summer Comes Alive
Summer has truly come alive. The first tomatoes, brandywine, are plumping up on the vine, and everything’s growing in full and lush.
Read more →Strawberries and Snails
Sunday, the universe sent me one strawberry valentine. By Monday, five glorious fragaria glowed red and ripe. Now they’re ripening fast and furiously. But I am not the only creature loving this sweet heart of a fruit… Enter, the land snail. Enter many snails…
Read more →Halloween Special: Mummies in your Garden
Vivid tales of mummified aphids are but a part of this inspiring talk on plant protection using insects. A real horror story: 90% of fruits and vegetables in NZ have pesticide residues. This method of natural pest control could be a part of NZ’s strategy to reduce pesticide residues in our produce and soil.
Read more →First Day of Spring in the Seagarden
September 1 is the first day of Spring in New Zealand. That’s still hard to wrap my Northern hemisphere-raised head around, but the garden’s been sending signs for a couple of weeks that it’s so. Here are some of the clues…
Read more →Cavolo Nero Kale Chips
Growing cavolo nero, kale, or savoy cabbage? Got olive oil, salt and an oven? You have everything you need for an addictively delicious, nutritious crispy snack.
Read more →Mystery Plant Identity Revealed
The mystery plant I’d been flashing around images is Karo, Pittosporum crassifolium. Here are links to active plant ID forums to help figure out future mystery plants.
Read more →The Tamarillo Show
Do tamarillos (now in season!) reveal a secret symbol when you cut them in half?
Read more →Morning Glory Solar Light
The original solar lights in the sky are so magnificent and wondrous to behold, but the solar lights you can buy are generally uninspired and ugly. How to capture and transmit beauty along with the light?
Read more →Fractalicious Romanesco
Introducing the most delightfully geeky of all vegetables, the Romanesco.
Read more →Seeds of Enlightenment
One morning, the reclining Buddha’s ear appeared encrusted with tiny jade stones.
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Saturday Seagarden Spoils
A sketchy harvest report from a glorious autumnal afternoon in the garden.
Read more →Very Hungry Caterpillars
Celebrating A Very Hungry Caterpillar and learning how to deal with very hungry caterpillars feasting on vegetables in the organic garden.
Read more →Seatoun Weather
