An artist with a scientific background is well on the way to proving that larger scale sustainable gardening and permaculture do not need to cost the earth.
Anna-Marie Kingsley, along with her husband Malcolm Batchelor, has created Hattenburn Gardens at Carrington, 6km west of Carterton.
The three acres of fruit, vegetables, artwork, herbs and flowers opened to the public just over a year ago, with Kingsley promoting creative ideas for growing using permaculture principals, recycling and networking.
At the property’s gate on Hinau Gully Road, concrete gargoyles crouch on guard over Hattenburn’s fresh produce stall, where visitors to the garden use the same honesty box for self-guided tours. If the stall is empty, it’s because produce is snapped up as fast as Kingsley can put it out.
Bantams, golden pheasants and quails in spacious aviaries have survived predators such as stoats, weasels and ferrets. Eggs are like gold nuggets on the produce stall. An entire alley of flaming canna lilies; a ‘bubble bath’ made of succulents and other magical things hidden at every turn add texture and surprise.
But the creative gardening methods used at Hattenburn make it unique. Kingsley’s background in horticultural science, along with her award-winning artistic talents, allow her the confidence to develop old and new techniques in growing and propagating.
The garden utilizes over 1000 black tyres, which Kingsley describes as “ugly but effective” – they protect plants from frost, wind, rabbits and hares and hold down mulch to retain moisture. Reusable organza bags protect fruit on the trees from birds.
Kingsley and Batchelor festoon fruit trees and use mound layering for berry plant propagation. A high black-painted ‘hot wall’, made from recycled bottles and cement, is the backdrop for a curtain of passionfruit vines and avocado trees.
“Development of the gardens will never stop,” Kingsley said. “There are at least 19 more projects on the To Do list.”
These include continuing development of a food forest, with its wood-fired hot tub – recycled, of course.
“Our food forest has been designed to show how you can keep costs to an absolute minimum,” Kingsley said. “Much of what we use, or plant is free, gifted, cheap, or we propagated it ourselves.”
Using things that are of little value to others is a favourite – sheep dags from farms is one example of free mulch.
Kingsley and Batchelor have their lifestyle quirks – she distils and makes gin, and he owns 24 elderly Massey Ferguson tractors. They live off-grid in an eco-friendly home, in tune with the Carrington river plateau environment at the base of the Taraura foothills, which can be battered by wind and heavy rains.
Over 18 years, the couple has learned how to live and thrive there, with the produce stall proof of their success.
Hattenburn Gardens are open for self-guided tours every day of the year, dawn to dusk. Entry is $7 per person via honesty box or online. Follow on Facebook: Hattenburn Gardens and Produce Stall.
< An artist with a scientific background is well on the way to proving that larger scale sustainable gardening and permaculture do not need to cost the earth.
Anna-Marie Kingsley, along with her husband Malcolm Batchelor, has created Hattenburn Gardens at Carrington, 6km west of Carterton.
The three acres of fruit, vegetables, artwork, herbs and flowers opened to the public just over a year ago, with Kingsley promoting creative ideas for growing using permaculture principals, recycling and networking.
At the property’s gate on Hinau Gully Road, concrete gargoyles crouch on guard over Hattenburn’s fresh produce stall, where visitors to the garden use the same honesty box for self-guided tours. If the stall is empty, it’s because produce is snapped up as fast as Kingsley can put it out.
Bantams, golden pheasants and quails in spacious aviaries have survived predators such as stoats, weasels and ferrets. Eggs are like gold nuggets on the
produce stall. An entire alley of flaming canna lilies; a ‘bubble bath’ made of succulents and other magical things hidden at every turn add texture and surprise.
But the creative gardening methods used at Hattenburn make it unique. Kingsley’s background in horticultural science, along with her award-winning artistic talents, allow her the confidence to develop old and new techniques in growing and propagating.
The garden utilizes over 1000 black tyres, which Kingsley describes as “ugly but effective” – they protect plants from frost, wind, rabbits and hares and hold down mulch to retain moisture. Reusable organza bags protect fruit on the trees from birds.
Kingsley and Batchelor festoon fruit trees and use mound layering for berry plant propagation. A high black-painted ‘hot wall’, made from recycled bottles and cement, is the backdrop for a curtain of passionfruit vines and avocado trees.
“Development of the gardens will never stop,” Kingsley said. “There are at least 19 more projects on the To Do list.”
These include continuing development of a food forest, with its wood-fired hot tub – recycled, of course.
“Our food forest has been designed to show how you can keep costs to an absolute minimum,” Kingsley said. “Much of what we use, or plant is free, gifted, cheap, or we propagated it ourselves.”
Using things that are of little value to others is a favourite – sheep dags from farms is one example of free mulch.
Kingsley and Batchelor have their lifestyle quirks – she distils and makes gin, and he owns 24 elderly Massey Ferguson tractors. They live off-grid in an eco-friendly home, in tune with the Carrington river plateau environment at the base of the Taraura foothills, which can be battered by wind and heavy rains.
Over 18 years, the couple has learned how to live and thrive there, with the produce stall proof of their success.
Hattenburn Gardens are open for self-guided tours every day of the year, dawn to dusk. Entry is $7 per person via honesty box or online. Follow on Facebook: Hattenburn Gardens and Produce Stall.
< An artist with a scientific background is well on the way to proving that larger scale sustainable gardening and permaculture do not need to cost the earth.
Anna-Marie Kingsley, along with her husband Malcolm Batchelor, has created Hattenburn Gardens at Carrington, 6km west of Carterton.
The three acres of fruit, vegetables, artwork, herbs and flowers opened to the public just over a year ago, with Kingsley promoting creative ideas for growing using permaculture principals, recycling and networking.
At the property’s gate on Hinau Gully Road, concrete gargoyles crouch on guard over Hattenburn’s fresh produce stall, where visitors to the garden use the same honesty box for self-guided tours. If the stall is empty, it’s because produce is snapped up as fast as Kingsley can put it out.
Bantams, golden pheasants and quails in spacious aviaries have survived predators such as stoats, weasels and ferrets. Eggs are like gold nuggets on the
produce stall. An entire alley of flaming canna lilies; a ‘bubble bath’ made of succulents and other magical things hidden at every turn add texture and surprise.
But the creative gardening methods used at Hattenburn make it unique. Kingsley’s background in horticultural science, along with her award-winning artistic talents, allow her the confidence to develop old and new techniques in growing and propagating.
The garden utilizes over 1000 black tyres, which Kingsley describes as “ugly but effective” – they protect plants from frost, wind, rabbits and hares and hold down mulch to retain moisture. Reusable organza bags protect fruit on the trees from birds.
Kingsley and Batchelor festoon fruit trees and use mound layering for berry plant propagation. A high black-painted ‘hot wall’, made from recycled bottles and cement, is the backdrop for a curtain of passionfruit vines and avocado trees.
“Development of the gardens will never stop,” Kingsley said. “There are at least 19 more projects on the To Do list.”
These include continuing development of a food forest, with its wood-fired hot tub – recycled, of course.
“Our food forest has been designed to show how you can keep costs to an absolute minimum,” Kingsley said. “Much of what we use, or plant is free, gifted, cheap, or we propagated it ourselves.”
Using things that are of little value to others is a favourite – sheep dags from farms is one example of free mulch.
Kingsley and Batchelor have their lifestyle quirks – she distils and makes gin, and he owns 24 elderly Massey Ferguson tractors. They live off-grid in an eco-friendly home, in tune with the Carrington river plateau environment at the base of the Taraura foothills, which can be battered by wind and heavy rains.
Over 18 years, the couple has learned how to live and thrive there, with the produce stall proof of their success.
Hattenburn Gardens are open for self-guided tours every day of the year, dawn to dusk. Entry is $7 per person via honesty box or online. Follow on Facebook: Hattenburn Gardens and Produce Stall.
< An artist with a scientific background is well on the way to proving that larger scale sustainable gardening and permaculture do not need to cost the earth.
Anna-Marie Kingsley, along with her husband Malcolm Batchelor, has created Hattenburn Gardens at Carrington, 6km west of Carterton.
The three acres of fruit, vegetables, artwork, herbs and flowers opened to the public just over a year ago, with Kingsley promoting creative ideas for growing using permaculture principals, recycling and networking.
At the property’s gate on Hinau Gully Road, concrete gargoyles crouch on guard over Hattenburn’s fresh produce stall, where visitors to the garden use the same honesty box for self-guided tours. If the stall is empty, it’s because produce is snapped up as fast as Kingsley can put it out.
Bantams, golden pheasants and quails in spacious aviaries have survived predators such as stoats, weasels and ferrets. Eggs are like gold nuggets on the
produce stall. An entire alley of flaming canna lilies; a ‘bubble bath’ made of succulents and other magical things hidden at every turn add texture and surprise.
But the creative gardening methods used at Hattenburn make it unique. Kingsley’s background in horticultural science, along with her award-winning artistic talents, allow her the confidence to develop old and new techniques in growing and propagating.
The garden utilizes over 1000 black tyres, which Kingsley describes as “ugly but effective” – they protect plants from frost, wind, rabbits and hares and hold down mulch to retain moisture. Reusable organza bags protect fruit on the trees from birds.
Kingsley and Batchelor festoon fruit trees and use mound layering for berry plant propagation. A high black-painted ‘hot wall’, made from recycled bottles and cement, is the backdrop for a curtain of passionfruit vines and avocado trees.
“Development of the gardens will never stop,” Kingsley said. “There are at least 19 more projects on the To Do list.”
These include continuing development of a food forest, with its wood-fired hot tub – recycled, of course.
“Our food forest has been designed to show how you can keep costs to an absolute minimum,” Kingsley said. “Much of what we use, or plant is free, gifted, cheap, or we propagated it ourselves.”
Using things that are of little value to others is a favourite – sheep dags from farms is one example of free mulch.
Kingsley and Batchelor have their lifestyle quirks – she distils and makes gin, and he owns 24 elderly Massey Ferguson tractors. They live off-grid in an eco-friendly home, in tune with the Carrington river plateau environment at the base of the Taraura foothills, which can be battered by wind and heavy rains.
Over 18 years, the couple has learned how to live and thrive there, with the produce stall proof of their success.
Hattenburn Gardens are open for self-guided tours every day of the year, dawn to dusk. Entry is $7 per person via honesty box or online. Follow on Facebook: Hattenburn Gardens and Produce Stall.
< An artist with a scientific background is well on the way to proving that larger scale sustainable gardening and permaculture do not need to cost the earth.
Anna-Marie Kingsley, along with her husband Malcolm Batchelor, has created Hattenburn Gardens at Carrington, 6km west of Carterton.
The three acres of fruit, vegetables, artwork, herbs and flowers opened to the public just over a year ago, with Kingsley promoting creative ideas for growing using permaculture principals, recycling and networking.
At the property’s gate on Hinau Gully Road, concrete gargoyles crouch on guard over Hattenburn’s fresh produce stall, where visitors to the garden use the same honesty box for self-guided tours. If the stall is empty, it’s because produce is snapped up as fast as Kingsley can put it out.
Bantams, golden pheasants and quails in spacious aviaries have survived predators such as stoats, weasels and ferrets. Eggs are like gold nuggets on the
produce stall. An entire alley of flaming canna lilies; a ‘bubble bath’ made of succulents and other magical things hidden at every turn add texture and surprise.
But the creative gardening methods used at Hattenburn make it unique. Kingsley’s background in horticultural science, along with her award-winning artistic talents, allow her the confidence to develop old and new techniques in growing and propagating.
The garden utilizes over 1000 black tyres, which Kingsley describes as “ugly but effective” – they protect plants from frost, wind, rabbits and hares and hold down mulch to retain moisture. Reusable organza bags protect fruit on the trees from birds.
Kingsley and Batchelor festoon fruit trees and use mound layering for berry plant propagation. A high black-painted ‘hot wall’, made from recycled bottles and cement, is the backdrop for a curtain of passionfruit vines and avocado trees.
“Development of the gardens will never stop,” Kingsley said. “There are at least 19 more projects on the To Do list.”
These include continuing development of a food forest, with its wood-fired hot tub – recycled, of course.
“Our food forest has been designed to show how you can keep costs to an absolute minimum,” Kingsley said. “Much of what we use, or plant is free, gifted, cheap, or we propagated it ourselves.”
Using things that are of little value to others is a favourite – sheep dags from farms is one example of free mulch.
Kingsley and Batchelor have their lifestyle quirks – she distils and makes gin, and he owns 24 elderly Massey Ferguson tractors. They live off-grid in an eco-friendly home, in tune with the Carrington river plateau environment at the base of the Taraura foothills, which can be battered by wind and heavy rains.
Over 18 years, the couple has learned how to live and thrive there, with the produce stall proof of their success.
Hattenburn Gardens are open for self-guided tours every day of the year, dawn to dusk. Entry is $7 per person via honesty box or online. Follow on Facebook: Hattenburn Gardens and Produce Stall.
