Masses of seedlings and plants of all shapes and sizes filled the Ambury Farm Barn on Saturday morning, ready and waiting for the local community to arrive.
And arrive they did! Bringing seedlings, packets of seeds, cuttings and plants. There was an air of enthusiasm and energy, and an excited hubbub of chat as people looked at the green lineup and chatted about the plants. Local Brendan said “This is a fantastic networking opportunity. We’re riding the wave of a resurgence in gardening, and people jump at the chance to be involved”.
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“An event like this is awesome. It encourages an exchange of information and we all learn from each other.”
To start, organiser Ranger Janine announced that all those who have brought seedlings could have first dibs on choosing some for themselves, which they cheerfully did. Yet there were still masses left over for everyone else – gardeners are generous by nature and happy to share not only knowledge but seeds and plants.
Not only did the event attract local gardeners, it brought in people from Albany, Papatoetoe, Avondale, Mt Roskill, Te Atatu Peninsula, Onehunga and Hillsborough. And thanks to our location, even Ambury Farm visitors popped in to see what was happening too and were delighted and amazed to select plants for their own garden, at no cost.
Keen gardener Jean said “This is a fantastic idea. I’ve learned lots from talking to people and sharing knowledge and tips. The shared enthusiasm and interest in growing things brings people together.”
While people waited for the Swap to start, they were encouraged to make a paper seedling cup, fill it with planting mix and plant some seeds- flowers or veges. This was very popular with young children. The paper cups were also useful for transporting seedlings .
As part of the wastewise/recycling focus, Friends of the Farm had a recycling table with stickers, pamphlets and examples of recycling correctly, which prompted great conversations about what and how.
Last but not least was the Giant Pumpkin Competition. Co-organiser Meegan Jade had planted out 100 Giant Pumpkin seeds and kept them warm and watered in readiness for the competition. People registered and collected their seedling, ready to be planted out. The pumpkins will be weighed at the end of January 2026 and a winner announced, watch this space!
One visitor Kevin commented “An event like this is awesome. It encourages an exchange of information and we all learn from each other. I’m delighted to get a purple yam to try out in my garden, plus some bok choy seeds. It’s a great alternative to silverbeet.”
Tea, coffee and homemade biscuits were provided for the visitors. Thanks to Meegan’s Nana for her delicious baking.
All the vegetables seedlings and some Jerusalem artichokes and dahlia bulbs were planted in the orchard that afternoon.
