There are still more interviews with cool people to come!
1. Hello, who are you and what do you do?
2. Am I some filthy bourgeois pig exploiting the working class and making others do my yard work? Who are your customers?
When I started in 2014, it was much more class-based, but the world has changed a lot since then. My clients used to be families with small children or well-off people. Now, most of my clients are either very busy or can't afford (physically or mentally!) to take care of their own gardens. (Editor's note: Hi, it's me! No, literally, it's me, the person interviewed for Zoe's blog.)
Many of our clients let us take care of the repetitive and demanding aspects of gardening so they can focus on what they really love. To be honest, we don't take on clients who we don't enjoy working with, because life is too short. In the worst cases, some of our clients aren't all that interested in gardening, but would like to make sure it doesn't completely consume their home (which is probably me, hello).
3. You rent chickens! Your website has a lot of information about chickens, but do people rent chickens for rehabilitation? I'm sure I'm not the only one who has had a traumatic experience with a chicken at Staglands.
My super friendly chicken will yelp, prostrate himself, stomp and dance like he's going to kill me if I pick him up. So if you want to feel empowered by your chickens, I have the perfect chicken for you! My other chicken hates me even though I hand-fed him 4 times a day for a week when he was sick. I'm still a little upset about that.
4. I know there are many different microclimates around Wellington, do you have any advice on what grows well here and what to avoid?
The best advice I have and that anyone can follow is that the plants in the garden center are not there because they will grow well for you. They are there because the nursery decided to send them to all areas. And they are often sent at the wrong time of year to plant them. Be very careful with what you have in front of you. Read the label, then Google the exact variety and think about whether it suits the area you want to plant it in. If you are trying to decide what to plant in your garden, remember that the internet is full of advice from people all over the world. A lot of it will not apply to you, but evaluating the sources will do the trick. Also, stay away from viburnums. They are a sign of bug problems, look bad, and will only attract pests to your garden.
5. I’m sure you’re not one to “follow the crowd”, but are there any garden trends that you’ve seen your clients looking for lately?
A few years ago, everyone moved away from hedges and started experimenting with high-maintenance, complicated wildflowers. Now everyone is looking around wondering what on earth to do. My prediction is that we'll see red-brown and sandy colors in hardscapes. I've also noticed that more and more people are getting tired of inflorescences (small clusters of flowers) and want big, showy, eye-catching flowers. To be honest, I think we're going back to a style that's a bit more formal; clean, eye-catching lines.
6. What is your favourite public garden or outdoor space to spend time in the city?
The Begonia House at the Botanical Gardens is always a big hit, and is heated so it's great for winter too. The park around the Hat City Library is also great. My daughter has recently become obsessed with seeing the city from up high, so we've been spending a lot of time at night at the Brooklyn Wind Turbines. It's very beautiful, but you can't see many plants.
7. What are your hopes for Wellington over the next five years?
I am very worried that we are moving in a more conservative direction, so if we can stick to an environmentalist left wing governing body that would be great. I hope the library is completed as soon as possible and I really hope Caffienated Dragon Games stays open because the construction is destroying their business.
I would like to see cycle lanes installed everywhere, and for rights-holder car owners to acknowledge that they need to drastically reduce their car use so that people with disabilities can continue to use their cars.
I want us all to invest in greywater treatment systems for our homes and work towards sustainable ways of generating electricity for our homes. My partner is an electrician and is adamant that unless technology advances rapidly, solar power will not be enough. I want us all to continue to be kind to each other.
8. Who's the next cool Wellingtonian we should talk to?
Bridget Cathy is an apprentice plumber and all-around wonderful person who dabbles in many different things in her free time and is committed to supporting women in all walks of life.
Anna Henderson runs Oh Goodness, a South Coast company that makes amazing soaps.
I know so many amazing people! I could list them all day!
