The Country
  • The Country home
  • Latest news
  • Audio & podcasts
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life
  • Listen on iHeart radio

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • Coast & Country News
  • Opinion
  • Dairy farming
  • Sheep & beef farming
  • Horticulture
  • Animal health
  • Rural business
  • Rural technology
  • Rural life

Media

  • Podcasts
  • Video

Weather

  • Kaitaia
  • Whāngarei
  • Dargaville
  • Auckland
  • Thames
  • Tauranga
  • Hamilton
  • Whakatāne
  • Rotorua
  • Tokoroa
  • Te Kuiti
  • Taumurunui
  • Taupō
  • Gisborne
  • New Plymouth
  • Napier
  • Hastings
  • Dannevirke
  • Whanganui
  • Palmerston North
  • Levin
  • Paraparaumu
  • Masterton
  • Wellington
  • Motueka
  • Nelson
  • Blenheim
  • Westport
  • Reefton
  • Kaikōura
  • Greymouth
  • Hokitika
  • Christchurch
  • Ashburton
  • Timaru
  • Wānaka
  • Oamaru
  • Queenstown
  • Dunedin
  • Gore
  • Invercargill

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / The Country

Family passion for gardening continues, as sisters follow in Nana's footsteps

By Peter Jackson
Northland Age·
9 Oct, 2019 08:04 PM2 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Willow and Tahlia de Ridder come from a long line of gardeners. Picture / Supplied

Willow and Tahlia de Ridder come from a long line of gardeners. Picture / Supplied

Kerikeri sisters Willow (7) and Tahlia (8) de Ridder have won the Northland Budding Young Gardener title, part of the nationwide search for the Yates Budding Young Gardener 2019.

The green-thumbed sisters are fifth generation gardeners, and are following in the footsteps of their mother, Mirielle, and grandmother, Nana Di (Maxwell).

Every weekend they spend time with Nana Di, whose six-acre property features the best part of a rugby field in vegetable gardens and an orchard with more than 70 fruit trees. The garden has recently been expanded to provide food for Nana Di's Kaikohe restaurant, which specialises in serving fresh local food.

"We love helping Nana Di in her garden, and learning to grow all sorts of different vegetables, but our absolute favourite is potatoes," Willow said.

"When it's time to dig them up it's a bit like going on a treasure hunt. And the best bit is that we can wander around the garden eating all the yummy food."

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

There's not much that isn't grown in their grandmother's vege plot, and the sisters are also learning how to grow by the phases of the moon, a family tradition.

"We are still learning about how the moon affects the growing cycle of plants. Nana also teaches us about respecting Mother Nature, and gardening as naturally as possible," Tahlia said.

Nana Di said the girls were growing up with a genuine love for the garden and growing things.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

"They are so passionate about gardening — even more than I was when I was their age, and being taught by my mother and grandfather. It is wonderful to see there is a lifetime of long-lasting joy in the garden for them ahead," she said.

Discover more

Lloyd Logging named Forestry Family of the Year

09 Oct 07:43 PM

Surfcasting: An excellent 24 hours for some

09 Oct 09:35 PM

How to grow your own avocados

09 Oct 09:38 PM
Save

    Share this article

Latest from The Country

The Country

Watch: CCTV shows moment drug-driver caused tractor to crash into homes

The Country

Te Puke incident: Person airlifted after serious injury

The Country

Chris Hipkins ponders a grand coalition on The Country


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from The Country

Watch: CCTV shows moment drug-driver caused tractor to crash into homes
The Country

Watch: CCTV shows moment drug-driver caused tractor to crash into homes

Families were left homeless after the crash in the northern English city of Chester.

17 Jul 03:49 AM
Te Puke incident: Person airlifted after serious injury
The Country

Te Puke incident: Person airlifted after serious injury

17 Jul 02:26 AM
Chris Hipkins ponders a grand coalition on The Country
The Country

Chris Hipkins ponders a grand coalition on The Country

17 Jul 01:45 AM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • NZ Herald e-editions
  • Daily puzzles & quizzes
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Subscribe to the NZ Herald newspaper
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • NZME Events
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP