Our Goals
We aim to provide hands on learning in a supportive environment to encourage resilience, and problem solving, while providing opportunities to learn intrinsically. These can be onsite, in a classroom, office, or at your home. Check out the website to see what we have to offer.
Your Neighbour's Garden is a BIG idea.
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As I am creating this business I keep coming across inspirational quotes which provide encouragement when I am feeling like I am out of my depth. One of these quotes is “If your dream doesn't scare you, make it bigger”.
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So here we go:
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Between a medical condition that gives me overwhelming fatigue and feeling like I was just working and sleeping my life away, my husband and I decided that if I have to work it should be doing things I am passionate about. Well, how do I join together meeting people, gardening, bees, flowers, sewing and cooking?
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Keeping in mind that I like to be around people and learning from others, I want to open my garden for anyone to pop in for a cuppa and a chat. Get your hands dirty if you want to and take away some veges that you have helped grow. The rest of my time is spent looking after the animals and supplying honey, eggs, homegrown food, and flowers for sale.
As a teacher, I am working on providing interesting events and learning experiences to a range of people, from schools, businesses, retirement homes and also individual children and families. Where – well a lot of learning experiences will be held at Your Neighbours' Garden, here in Maryhill. This is a working garden where we make a lot of the magic happen. We can also take the learning to you – with observation hives, incubators for hire and learning experiences/team building opportunities.
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So essentially we will be selling some of our produce from our garden on our stall and our skills to anyone who is interested. We provide a regular social morning tea, where people can come and gather together and share their own knowledge and learn from each other, where we will also provide home grown vegetables to anyone who wants to get their hands dirty.
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I am hoping to be able to get to the stage of using the large supply of fruit in the backyard and those available to us in the wider area of Southland and Otago, to create interesting jams, and spreads. Because this will need my kitchen to go through the council Food safety requirements, it is a plan in the making.
Behind all of this is the idea of community, looking after each other, local food and sharing our skills.
Seasonal Produce
Learn what veges grow best and when. Understand why some plants grow better here in our temperate climate that further north.
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Grow your own veges in easy sustainable ways irrespective of your living situation i.e. renting, city flat, or your own home.
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Check out our links to seasonal recipes. Eating seasonal food usually means that the items are cheaper at the supermarket.
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When available we also sell vegetables on our stall at 147 Glenpark Avenue, Maryhill, for a fair price.
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Check out our Events page to see what is coming up. Our recipe page links to a range of delicious meals, ways to preserve and what to grow and when.
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The Flower Garden
There are two levels of flower gardens at Your Neighbour's Garden.
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There are the usual every day flower gardens that provide a place to enjoy and relax in their beauty.
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Then there are the flower beds that hold many of the plants that I use as cut flowers to sell. At times these two gardens can over flow into each other, especially when I can't help but find a treasure that I know would give someone pleasure in a bouquet.
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We sell flower seedlings as well as bouquets. Keep your eye out on our stall for bulbs at certain times of the year.
The Bee Garden
This is where I keep a few hives for teaching and, this year, rearing queens. It is an area that is separate from the rest of the garden but of course, you can't tell the bees where to go so they don't stay in there.
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You need to be aware of the bees, there can be a possibility that they will show an interest in you. At Your Neighbour's Garden we talk you through how to manage yourself around the bees to avoid any issues. We also carry epi-pens. We would recommend if you are allergic to bees that we do a visit to you for lessons where we can bring our observation hive so you can participate without any risk.
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Come and purchase our honey, from our stall. You will know exactly where your honey comes from and have a range of different types available. Each year it is exciting to taste what the bees make for us to enjoy.