On the outskirts of Hastings, in Waipatu, right next to Tomoana Showgrounds, is Aunty’s Garden.
Aunty Hanui Lawrence, 76, is the passionate gardener behind it, and spends her days tending to her community garden.
She grows all manner of produce, but especially loves growing kūmara.
"I've grown kūmara all mylife with passion - same with my parents," Hanui said. "This whole paddock was full of kūmara. And it's such a good kai. Easy to grow."
Hanui also encourages others to grow their own vegetables and offers gardening workshops to show them how.
The younger generation were there, too. Twin sisters Taler-J and Portlin Wilson Apatu, 9, had fun in the garden with other children.
“We learned how to plant, so we dug a hole. Then we put the seedlings inside the hole, then we watered and put the soil down,” said Taler-J.
Keri Benefield first visited Aunty’s Gardens 10 years ago, and now tries to come back as often as possible. She kept the kūmara she got from a previous Kūmara Harvest workshop in preparation for the latest instructions.
"I kept them over winter and cut them in half. I've been growing the seedlings from my windowsill. Now, I know what to do next."
The community garden idea began 20 years ago. Hanui converted the 0.8-hectare paddock next to her marae into a community garden before opening it in 2010.
Hanui said she didn’t learn gardening from books. She learned from doing it herself and watching other people.
Hastings has a community garden in the real sense at Waipatu. Photo / Jie Pang
She spends most of her time working in the garden, but gets plenty of help from family members, church friends, Department of Corrections workers and volunteers.
For locals, the garden is an affordable and accessible place to get organically grown fresh kai. Plenty of fresh produce is on offer and there are no set prices.
"Koha is anything," Hanui said. "You could pay 10¢ or $10. Some people think of value and give a little extra."
It’s an appealing approach, says local gardener Zoe Lee.
“You come in and you only take what you need,” she said. “So, if you’re short today, you can come to Aunty’s Garden and get what you need for today’s meal.”
Aunty’s Garden is not about money. The land, part of a “reservation” and non-rated, is granted free to Hanui by the landowner for gardening. The cost of seeds and fertiliser is covered through funding and donations.
The gardens have had visits from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and previously, Sir John Key. Hanui has also been awarded a Queen's Service Medal.
But one day, she will need to retire, and she expects her legacy will then come to an end.
"She's not getting any younger," Hastings resident Dejay Kireka said. "And like she says to me: 'When I'm done, I'm done'."
Aunty’s husband Hori Lawrence is also worried about his wife.
“She works too hard. I’ve been telling her to give it up. She said she might one day .”
But Aunty Hanui doesn't have a succession plan.
"Nobody has the same passion as me. They'd probably want to be paid.
“So, if I’m not going to do it, the garden will be history. The land will go back to its owners. They might build houses here. So, it will be missed. It will be lost.”
