Helping out for a cleaner future

230216MudGirls THE Mud Girls (from left) Margi, Gillian and Laura (foreground). Frances is in the checked shirt. PICTURE / SUPPLIED

Frances Taylor (of Quality Trees Nursery) in Papaiti Road, Whanganui, has two stories to tell. One is how she manages her business sustainably. The other describes how, with the help of an army of volunteers, she has made an incredible recovery from the devastation caused by the 2015 floods.

The stories intertwine and tell of how Frances' sustainable practices inform her business and how she recovered from the flooding that submerged her entire nursery and swept away some of her lifestock.

First though, Frances led us to some mature trees in her "show" gardens above the flood line. These trees are viewed by customers who can then buy the young self-propagated offspring potted up in the nursery.

"This is my retirement project," said Frances. "I'm not putting money into the bank - I'm putting money into plants."

Frances' love for growing plants began when, newly arrived from the UK, it became apparent her teaching qualifications relating to adults with disabilities were not recognised here. Frances undertook some retraining in Taranaki. "This was the start of my passion for horticulture. It was like coming home." Frances continued to teach horticulture for 25 years.

Frances follows natural principles as much as possible. "In plant life, nothing can be hurried," she says. She eats according to the season with vegetables, fruit, eggs and meat all coming from her property. Excess fruit and vegetables are preserved for later enjoyment.

Her huge compost heap works on the principle of gravity. Material is heaped in at the top of a rise, and she gathers the composted material from the bottom.

After the river burst its banks in June 2015, destroying all of Frances' nursery, she felt humbled by the amount of volunteer help that arrived to assist her.

Hundreds of people ("none of whom I knew!") spent hundreds of hours digging, clearing, shovelling, hosing and piling up the sticky silt which covered the ground and clung to every leaf and twig of her plants.

The work continues.

Three women volunteer once a week, continuing to wash plants and scrub silt off plant pots. When we spoke to "The Mud Girls", they said while they are helping Frances with nursery tasks they enjoy the friendship and fun they have and learn a lot from Frances.

They also benefit occasionally from garden and orchard produce gifts.

230216MudGirls THE Mud Girls (from left) Margi, Gillian and Laura (foreground). Frances is in the checked shirt. PICTURE / SUPPLIED

There is still a huge amount to be done.

The river paddock is shoulder-high in weeds, with a thick layer of silt covering the ground. Frances could do with about half a dozen people with weedeaters to clear it out, to prevent the seeds spreading through the rest of her and her neighbours' properties. She could also do with a strong person with a chainsaw to help replace her firewood stack, most of which was swept away. One job Frances does herself as an evening "meditation" is to individually brush pieces of firewood with a wire-brush - the only way to clean off that river silt.

For more about Frances and QT Nursery go to: www.qtnursery.co.nz or email: fcttaylor@orcon.net.nz