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Lynda Hallinan embraces nature's stubbornness

‘I go to nature to be soothe and healed, and to have my senses put in tune once more,’ wrote John Burroughs. Somewhere in Hunua, the owner of Foggydale Farm is rolling her eyes.

All about Meyer lemons PLUS lemon ice cream

Learn how to look after your citrus - and treat yourself with this yummy ice cream recipe.

These block owners are helping kids reconnect with nature

A Northland family share the healing powers of their land to help children in crisis, and it’s working.

Does orchard size matter?

Ben Gaia visits two small sections that are big on production.

4 steps to pruning an apple tree

Haven't pruned your fruit tree in years? Here’s where to begin.

3 secrets to getting the best from cabbage trees

The cabbage tree is the gift that keeps on giving, if you know its secrets.

How to grow great raspberries

Raspberries are a great option for the lifestyle block. Ben Gaia looks at how to get the best production.

Tips for getting 20kg of tamarillos per tree

They’re fussy, but tamarillos are a tangy treat, and prolific if you know the secrets to high production.

Meet the woman enriching lives with Māori culture

Lawyer Precious Clark takes a lead role in helping Pākehā identify with Māori culture in a way that adds value personally and professionally.

Growing Mexican limes in New Zealand

How to keep a lime happy, even in the cold.

The best regional firewood trees to use in NZ

Winter is coming. Prepare to fill the fireplace with wood from the best-suited firewood trees in your neck of woods.

Permaculture systems in your garden

Permaculture is a fancy name for all the things many of us are already doing in our orchards. Ben Gaia shares tips to get you growing more food using fewer chemicals.

Why a loquat tree might be perfect (or maybe not) for your garden

Loquat seedlings will grow in most areas of New Zealand, although they're becoming a pest in northern areas. The tropical fruit is delicious and the tree produces a fine hardwood.

What's better than a plum and an apricot? A pluot

Combine plums and apricots and you get the best of both fruit.

Yes, you can grow bananas in the South Island

This tropical plant is a great survivor in more places than you’d think.

The tree that attracts bees and distracts the birds in your orchard

It doesn’t bear fruit, but this little tree will vastly improve your orchard’s productivity.

Guava growing in New Zealand

Like all the guavas, these ones like a constant heavy mulch to feed the roots, and a good supply of moisture.

In Your Backyard Urban Harvest: Online Extras

In Your Backyard: Urban Harvest, is a guide to growing fruit and vegetables in small gardens. We've compiled extra materials and videos here to help further your understanding of this exciting topic.

Tending to your fruit trees in March

Apple picking, branch cutting and the secret to sweet peaches. Add Ben Gaia's seven tips to March your to-do list.

Secrets to growing olives in cold weather

There’s a great way to grow olive trees even when your place gets really cold.

How to grow great gooseberries

The gooseberry is one of those plants which only gets better and better with age.

7 tips to growing Japanese wineberries

Don’t be afraid of trying new fruits, especially ones as delicious as this.

Grow wild strawberries

Alpine strawberries are quite easy to grow, and very hardy in marginal lands, like shady forests and snowy alpine hillsides.

6 ways to clean up sorry-looking citrus

A neglected grapefruit tree gets an organic makeover.

Animals in your orchard

Some animals in an orchard are your friends and some are a definite no-no

At home with top company director Joan Withers

Of all the many significant achievements in her very successful business career, what does Joan Withers identify as the most important? ‘Finding the right man at 15 and then marrying him’

5 tips for growing in a tunnel house

Whether home-made or custom-designed, having a large covered area in our climate enables us to extend our range of growing times and species.

Which apple varieties are best to plant?

Apples were among the first plants that people planted on purpose.

2 secrets to getting your fruit trees through a frost

Two proven methods for helping frost-tender trees get through a big drop in temperature.

5 tips to designing the best shelter for your orchard

Sheltering your orchard is critical but that doesn't mean they can't be creative.

How to choose the right fruit species

You probably shouldn't try growing mangoes if you live in the South Island but don't give up on dreams of citrus, tamarilloes and nashi pears.

When is a peach a plum?

Peacherines and nectarines are peach-plum crosses, but there's some debate as to whether they are the same thing.

Why you should give nashi pears another chance

You’ll never know the joy of a truly magical-tasting pear until you grow your own.

Prune back blackberry and boysenberry bushes now and reap the rewards in summer.

What to do in the garden in July

Prune your berry bushes, prepare for early spring veggies and harvest chervil amd miner's lettuce.

5 organic ways to weed

You can get rid of weeds using everything from a rabbit to a steam gun (but not together).