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Seeds and Growing Things

This topic covers types of gardens (market, community, school etc.) farming, seasonal planting, composing guides, companion planting, soils, seed types, pests, weeds and fertilisers. Also learn how to make a worm farm and terrarium. SCIS no. 1842351

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Greenhouses

Capsicum grown in heated glasshouses in New Zealand.

Seed Catalogues

Seed Catalogues

Such a prosaic topic, such exquisite design work.

How does your garden grow?

How does your garden grow?

Composters who delight in making good compost.

Kaiapoi gardeners

Kaiapoi gardeners

Community garden declared best community garden in the country.

Planting seeds

Students planting seeds in Nelson while instructor looks on.

Floating orchard

Floating orchard

Floating orchard aims to create a unique public space for herbs, fruits, and vegetables.

Bumble bees in orchards

Bumble bees in orchards

Bumblebee colonies in orchards as crop pollinators.

Otago roof gardens

Otago roof gardens

Sustainable roof garden at the University of Otago.

Cactus house

Cactus House at Christchurch Botanical Gardens.

Reframing the great outdoors

Reframing the great outdoors

Architects and designers look for ways to incorporate 'green thinking' into offices.

Organic farming in the Cook Islands

Organic farming in the Cook Islands

Cook islands say growing organic produce is the way of the future.

Companion planting

Companion planting

Plants that grow well together.

Summer gardening: what you need to know

Summer gardening: what you need to know

Landscape designer and gardener Xanthe White talks with Kathryn Ryan about summer gardening: what to plant, when to plant and watering through the summer.

Rose on trellis and garden pots

Rose on trellis and garden pots

Painting by Frances Mary Hodgkins.

Autumn and winter crops

Autumn and winter crops

Gardeners think about autumn and winter crops.

Gardens in New Zealand

Gardens in New Zealand

Images of popular gardens in New Zealand.

Market gardeners

Market gardeners

Image of Chinese market gardeners in 1888.

Scarecrow festival

Scarecrow festival

The annual Gladstone Scarecrow Festival began in 1998 when locals came up with the idea to raise funds for the local school. Each November the fields around the settlement are dotted with carefully...

Garden to table

Garden to table

Garden to table programme at East Tamaki Garden Primary school.

Māori gardening

Māori gardening

Māori gardens, plants and methods of growing things.

Best soils

Map showing the best soils in New Zealand for crops and gardening.

New Zealand's high-quality soil

New Zealand's high-quality soil

Poster from DSIR Soil Bureau highlighting New Zealand’s high-quality soil.

Breeding blackcurrants

Breeding blackcurrants

Blackcurrant breeding plots at Waipuna farm.

Global worming

Orchard waste from around Central Otago feeds millions of composting worms at Robbie Dick's worm farm in Cromwell. The worms convert tonnes of edible waste into castings manure, an organic compost ...

Planting pines

Young radiata pine trees are being planted

Kowhai seed

Photograph of kowhai seeds

Planting native trees

Planting native trees

Mānuka seed capsules

Mānuka seed capsules

Mānuka is the most widely distributed shrub in New Zealand.

School garden

School children with gardening tools

School children with gardening tools

School children with gardening tools, Mangaroa, Upper Hutt, Wellington.

The cook and the cabbage

The cook and the cabbage

A cook holding up a giant cabbage at a camp in Wairarapa. Taken circa 1890s.

Kūmara

Ngawini Hetaraka and Ngahuia Hetaraka sitting next to a pile of kumara

NZ seeds arrive at 'doomsday' vault

NZ seeds arrive at 'doomsday' vault

Apples

Daffodil lawn

Daffodil lawn, Hagley Park.

Pukekohe market gardens

Pukekohe market gardens

View of Pukekohe market gardens from the air.

Gathering potatoes

Gathering potatoes

Māoriwomen gathering potatoes.

Native plants

A colourful arrangement of seeds, berries, and leaves of native plants.

Fertilisers give farmers a tool to be able to boost production when they need to.

Monsanto Free-Range Corn

Monsanto Free-Range Corn

Cartoon showing genetically modified corn seed.

Te Waha O Rerekohu, pohutukawa tree at Te Araroa

Te Waha O Rerekohu, pohutukawa tree at Te Araroa

Te Waha O Rerekohu is reputed to be the largest Pohutukawa tree in the world.

The big chill and the big drill

What was the weather like in Antarctica and what kinds of animals lived there?

Growing new plants without seeds

In this activity, students learn how to grow plants from spores, bulbils, rhizomes, stolons, tubers or cuttings.

What is this bug?

Identify bugs and insects in your garden.

Gardening basics, activities, lesson plans etc. for children.

The Tiny Seed by Eric Carle.

Maths in the garden

Numbers lurking in the garden.

How to grow kūmara

Nicola gets expert advice on how to grow the best kūmara.

Great plant escape

Join Detective La Plant's adventure through the world of plants.

The art of growing plants without soil.

Native seed bank

In the last three years, the seeds of more than 200 native species have been deposited in New Zealand’s native seed bank.

Indoor herb garden

Things to keep in mind when growing herbs indoors.

Grains and seeds

Edible and useful grains and seeds.

Birth of farming

The discovery of farming and the birth of civilization.

Garden: Kid Stuff

Gardening with kids is fun and challenging!

Planting calendar

Details on when to plant vegetables in New Zealand.

Changes in farming practice and the way food reaches your table.

Community garden

Whakatane community garden.

Time-lapse of bean germination

Time-lapse of climbing bean germination.

Plant myths and legends

Myths and legends on plants from around the world.

Epuni School garden

Epuni school has an amazing garden.

How plants grow

Learn how plants grow with this interactive science activity.

Garden crafts and nature art ideas for kids to enjoy.

Guide to composting

Easy guides to making a worm farm, compost bin and bokashi bin.

Flower pot farmer

Advantages of flower pot farming.

Vegetable garden

Step by step instructions on planting a vegetable garden.

Organic farming

Principles and ideas behind organic farming.

Most beautiful gardens

Meet some of the most beautiful gardens in the world.

The Koanga Institute

The Koanga Institute preserves New Zealand's heritage seeds.

Explore the many ways seeds disperse.

Green Revolution

The need for the Green Revolution.

One Million Trees partnership

One Million Trees partnership to plant 70,000 native trees with Conservation Volunteers

Native plant restoration

Advice on collecting and growing New Zealand native plant seeds.

Sustainable gardens

Easily sustainable garden practices.

Classification of seeds.

Johnny Appleseed

Story and video link to the story of Johnny Appleseed.

Biology of plants

A simple introduction to the basics of plant biology.

Companion planting

Lesson plan and experiment to test companion planting.

Lesson plan on how to make a terrarium.

Gardening for kids

Ideas and activities to get kids into gardening.

Seeds feed the world.

Orchard waste feeds composting worms.

Summer gardening

What to plant, when to plant and watering through the summer.

Women planting a garden

Women planting a garden

This group of women armed with rakes, forks, etc. are busy planting a garden in Wellington during World War II. The women were probably part of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary. They were involved...

Tulips, Wellington Botanic Garden

Tulips, Wellington Botanic Garden

A group of visitors admires a bed of tulips in the Wellington Botanic Gardens. This garden was established to grow and study exotic plants and for public recreational use and leisure.

The pansy

The pansy is one of the earliest flowers to bloom in spring. The name pansy comes from the French word penser, meaning thought or remembrance. The article contains many names for this cheerful look...

Bell's kitchen garden

Bell's kitchen garden

This watercolour shows Thomas Bell in his garden on Raoul Island. The island is part of the Kermadec Islands that New Zealand has responsibility for. The islands lie around 800 - 1000 km northwest ...

Gardening for Bob a Job Week

Gardening for Bob a Job Week

Lord Robert Baden-Powell founded The Girl Guides in 1910 in the UK. In New Zealand, the Girl Guides Association began in 1923.

Yates 1932 garden annual

Yates 1932 garden annual

Arthur Yates founded the Auckland seed company, Yates in 1883. The company's aim was to provide the best quality fruit and vegetable seeds for home gardeners.

Kūmaraplantation

Kūmaraplantation

It looks like hard work cultivating a kūmara plantation! This historically reconstructed image shows two Māori men using digging sticks (kō) and a woman using a pick-shaped implement to prepare the...

Eltham school garden

Eltham school garden

Boys work in the Eltham school garden, Taranaki.

Ellerslie flower show

Ellerslie flower show

The Ellerslie Flower Show is held in Christchurch between the 10th and 14th of March each year.

Cultivation of gardens

Cultivation of gardens

Mr G M Thomson had a busy day at flower shows! At one show, he spoke encouragingly of the benefits of flower shows and cultivating gardens.

Snow as a fertiliser

Snow as a fertiliser

Some agriculturists in 1909 believed that snow was a direct fertiliser. It was even called 'Poor man’s fertiliser'.

Community garden

Community garden

New Brighton Community Gardens.

Black Pearls

Breeding new blackcurrant varieties in NZ.

Many Answers

Contains useful links to websites about biology.

Pollination (lower primary) – unit plan

This unit is designed to introduce students to some of the science ideas and concepts relating to pollination. It is suitable for students working at NZC levels 1 and 2.

Student-led investigations about seeds

Students choose a question they have concerning seeds and design an investigation to help them answer their question.