Live for the Land becomes a business

Jason Parker (left), Phil Holden and Raymond Townsend want to use their gardening knowledge in a business. Photo/Bevan Conley.

Three Whanganui men want to extend their idealistic gardening and nursery work into a business - and they're having an open day on Saturday.

It's from 9am to 4pm at 106 Matai St, with a sausage sizzle, for koha, at noon.

One of them, Phil Holden, learned about plants and gardening from helping other people.

"I used to go and just work on people's properties for free and help them with their garden. I learned a lot," he said.

Three years ago he posted on the Wanganui Buy Sell Swap page on Facebook, calling a meeting for like-minded people. Out of that came Matai St Community Garden, after he had asked permission to use some council land across the street and been donated some plants.

Fruit trees were donated by Whanganui growers Mark Christensen and Murray Jones and the garden had regular working bees.

It's an experiment, Mr Holden said. He has less time for it now, but others have stepped up. Meanwhile he and friends have been developing his parents' back section in Matai St.

It has shade houses, a glass house, gardens, two beehives and a poultry run.

He and the others who live there need to earn some money. They plan to sell plants from there and at markets, give advice and help people build and set up their garden systems.

Their plants are fruiting trees and shrubs, vegetables and herbs - mainly heritage and heirloom varieties grafted from wild trees and found in "old school" gardens. They make compost and garden teas to feed the plants.

The three want to continue Mr Holden's giving philosophy, by giving a percentage of what they make back to the community.

"Basically I believe in giving. I believe what the earth produces is a gift and it should be shared between all humanity," he said.