Learning through nature

The other day I tasted for the first time a delicious fruit that I’d never seen growing in a garden before. It was the Mexican Casimiroa edulis or white sapote and it reminded me how we gardeners, no matter how long in the tooth we get, never stop discovering something new.

This issue of Go Gardening brought us into contact with lots of wonderful people who are passionate about the environment and learning. Educator Debbie Davies at Otara’s Dawson Primary teaches science through hands on experience in the school’s extensive gardens and kitchen. Meeting the likes of Debbie gives me hope for the future of science education in primary schools, which sadly has been lacking in recent decades.

At this year’s Eye on Nature exhibition at Auckland Botanic Gardens we met some of this country’s most committed environmentalists, coming together with the common goal of promoting ways of living well without harming the planet. This year’s theme was Edibles with strong messages around healthy eating and where food comes from.

As for my own vege garden, well that’s on my to do list. For me, winter is a chance to focus on a garden that pretty much had to look after itself for the first half of the year. It’s time now for the three P’s - plant, prune, plan.

There’s a plus side to making June, July and August all about the outside jobs. That simple act of getting outdoors for a healthy dose of sunlight and physical activity keeps life looking rosy when the grey season is upon us. And it’s amazing how quickly winter passes when you have spring as your deadline! Happy winter gardening,