A native plant specialist in Makaraka, next to the Showgrounds just outside Gisborne City, that grows and supplies New Zealand native plants direct to the public. Lana and Nigel Hope have owned and run the nursery since 1995 on 1.2 hectares. Every plant is grown in a container, starting in the propagation houses and then moving to the outside hardening-off area or the shade house. The sales area is open to the public, with master labels giving information and pricing for each plant, and a team member is on hand to help.
The nursery's ecosourcing practice is the main reason to buy here. Seed is collected from known patches of old-growth trees and plants, from several plants of each species, and from areas less likely to be polluted by introduced species, with every collection recorded under a four-digit number. General stock comes mainly from the Turanga and Waiapu districts. Plants are sold to home gardeners, landscapers, councils, the Department of Conservation and revegetation projects. Specific ecosourced orders need about two years' notice. Monday to Thursday is for trade and plant order pick-ups only. The nursery also publishes planting guides, which help work out which plants suit a particular style of landscape.