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Everyone had a vegetable garden back in the 1950`s.
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DescriptionUntil the appearance of supermarkets in the 1970s, home-grown vegetables were an important extra food source for many families, and considered part of a father’s domestic responsibilities.Date of Photo1950`sMap[1] ContributorHeather Newby
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Location (city or town)West CoastEventThis 1950s house with thriving back yard vegetable garden.
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LinkFacebookCommentsRoya Boustridge A good crop of silver beet there!!!
23 April at 20:05 · Like · 1
Nancye Mahuika They took such pride in their gardens and we were all very well feed.
23 April at 20:51 · Like · 3
Sonia Dando Our dad i remember digging whitebait into the garden seaweed in the spud garden we had every veg growing
23 April at 23:46 · Like · 1
Sandra Geddes
24 April at 07:39 · Like
Sandra Geddes Yes they did use whitebait no fridges,we all had big gardens feed us all
24 April at 07:39 · Like · 1
Heather Bennett We all had gardens like this and my husband still has a great garden just like my dads
24 April at 08:48 · Like
Kevin Gwatkin yes. It was the way we lived then. We were pretty self sufficient regarding vegetables. If you didn't grow it, then you didn't eat it! I think it was a fall out from the war when everything was dug up to grow vegetables.
24 April at 08:55 · Like · 1
Lois Walton I still remember seeing the men going home at the end of the day with the sacks of manure and coal draped over the bars on their bikes
24 April at 09:00 · Like · 2
Lyn Wallace Remember the whitebait, fish frames and seaweed going into family gardens. Janet Kilkelly I remember Uncle Jim coming off the river with kerosine tin of whitebait, dump it in a trench in dads garden then going back to the river for another round. Those were the days.
24 April at 09:04 · Like · 1
Andrea Ellen Graves Aye, I've been told about that whitebait thing lol. The thing is on the Coast you can grow veges with such ease; isn't the climate fricken perfect for them? Kids in school are learning to garden now which makes my heart glad. I can't wait to be back there with me vege patch. It would have been done from the earliest, earliest of days. My Mum and my Nana (both Coasters) ALWAYS had their garden... Mum still does.
24 April at 10:24 · Like · 1
Delwyn Hughes I used to bike with dad to Victoria park and hold the sack open for him to shovel in the horse manure, then we would bike home, dad loved his veggie garden but more importantly his roses for mum.
24 April at 11:30 · Like
Don Hutton During the war when horse drawn transport was used Mum kept an eye out for manure on the road and had a bucket and shovel ready at the front door to pick it up.
24 April at 11:45 · Like · 1
Ivan Murray Wilson Important skill...
Sheree Menzies Dad did the horse manure from the racetracks too! Even when they were in Rangiora.
9 December 2014 at 18:12 · Like
David Lindsay always had one growing up and then as an adult myself.... Had the best veges when we lived in Ross... but since moving to Christchurch can't grow veges for crap! not enough rain methinks!
9 December 2014 at 18:13 · Like · 4
Heather Newby Fresh peas have the best taste!
9 December 2014 at 18:14 · Like · 1
Jillian Nuth I live in chch and have a massive vege garden! Its all in the soil
9 December 2014 at 18:14 · Like · 4
David Lindsay i used a combination of grass clippings sheep manure and river sand.... created a garden from scratch on a shingle base...
9 December 2014 at 18:15 · Like · 1
Sheree Menzies Watering system helps.
9 December 2014 at 18:15 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Dad always had a big vegetable garden . I don`t ever remember Mum buying vegetables from a shop... except canned peas.
9 December 2014 at 17:46 · Like · 1
Jennifer Gaskell Dad even had a vege garden in Otira, A few of the residents told Dad nothing would grow, but it did, and in Greymouth he had an awesome garden,we were always eating veges from the garden.
9 December 2014 at 17:55 · Like · 4
Maree Lawlor Mine too Heather and Dad taught me a lot.Only he didnt teach me how to make it the husbands job!
9 December 2014 at 17:56 · Like · 5
Jillian Nuth Pity hnz now makes homes crammed close together with no gardens frown emoticon
9 December 2014 at 17:59 · Like · 1
Rebekah Geer Yes, we had big gardens no matter where we lived, never bought veges
9 December 2014 at 18:01 · Like · 1
Heather Newby silver beet.. peas.. asparagus.. globe artichokes.. carrots..spuds..cabbage..caulis..parsnips.. swedes.. lettuce.. tomatoes.. cucumbers.
9 December 2014 at 18:07 · Like · 2
Heather Newby Dad grew peanuts one year
9 December 2014 at 18:07 · Like · 3
Sheree Menzies Dad still does this and has instilled the same in us. Nothing better than home grown.
9 December 2014 at 18:07 · Like · 3
Heather Newby Same here Sheree Menzies I have a vege garden
9 December 2014 at 18:08 · Like · 2
Yvonne Brown my Dad had huge vege garden also, very similar to this one, rows and rows of spud too,
9 December 2014 at 18:09 · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies Dad loves getting in and helping whenever he comes to visit.
9 December 2014 at 18:09 · Like · 1
Heather Newby I dodn`t ever remember Mum and Dad buying spuds.Dad would go out into the garden after coming home from the mine. he would go up to the Goodsheds and get animal manure out of the wagons. and he would go to the race track and get horse manure.
9 December 2014 at 18:10 · Like · 4
Heather Newby He grew nice strawberries
9 December 2014 at 18:11 · Like · 1
Sheree Menzies Dad did the horse manure from the racetracks too! Even when they were in Rangiora.
9 December 2014 at 18:12 · Like
David Lindsay always had one growing up and then as an adult myself.... Had the best veges when we lived in Ross... but since moving to Christchurch can't grow veges for crap! not enough rain methinks!
9 December 2014 at 18:13 · Like · 4
Heather Newby Fresh peas have the best taste!
9 December 2014 at 18:14 · Like · 1
Jillian Nuth I live in chch and have a massive vege garden! Its all in the soil
9 December 2014 at 18:14 · Like · 4
David Lindsay i used a combination of grass clippings sheep manure and river sand.... created a garden from scratch on a shingle base...
9 December 2014 at 18:15 · Like · 1
Sheree Menzies Watering system helps.
9 December 2014 at 18:15 · Like · 1
David Lindsay and now theres only me to feed seeems hardly worth it!
9 December 2014 at 18:15 · Like · 2
Heather Newby In the days of the cart and horse there was plenty of animal manure around but these days we have to be creative.
9 December 2014 at 18:16 · Like · 1
Jillian Nuth We built a raised garden over our clay soil. We grow strawberries potatoes corn broccoli lettuce kale peas celery carrots onions and all kinds of herbs.
9 December 2014 at 18:17 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Celery grows well in clay soil Jillian Nuth
9 December 2014 at 18:17 · Like
Jillian Nuth We have rhubarb grapes plum and peach trees and nectarine tree growing in the original soil
9 December 2014 at 18:19 · Like · 1
Jillian Nuth And a feijoa tree lol
9 December 2014 at 18:19 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Rhubarb was a staple... remember rhubarb and junket? Jillian Nuth
9 December 2014 at 18:20 · Like
Sheree Menzies Rhubarb and custard, yum!
9 December 2014 at 18:21 · Like · 2
David Lindsay I lived in Ross... we had Tamarillo's peaches plums gooseberries and currents as well as all the veges you could want...
9 December 2014 at 18:21 · Like · 2
Jillian Nuth My mum never made junket she like fancy 80s style cooking!! She made a mean rhubarb and apple crumble tho
9 December 2014 at 18:22 · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies I haven't had gooseberries in years, saw them at the supermarket today for $5.00 a punnet.
9 December 2014 at 18:22 · Like
Sheree Menzies Dad still goes blackberry picking and mum makes the jelly, we also use it for blackberry and apple crumble.
9 December 2014 at 18:23 · Like · 2
David Lindsay mmmmm Rhubarb and custard! and and fresh blackberries m the nearest blackberry patch we'd pick and freeze pounds of them!
9 December 2014 at 18:23 · Like · 2
Jillian Nuth I miss blackberry picking! I was the smallest so got pushed right into the middle of the bushes where all the best berries were lol
9 December 2014 at 18:24 · Like · 3
Sheree Menzies Ouch Jillian!
See Translation
9 December 2014 at 18:25 · Like · 1
David Lindsay it wa slike a whole family outing... my wife at the time 4 kids and the dogs..... trying not to lose anyone in a bush or swamp... such fun!
9 December 2014 at 18:27 · Edited · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies Granny was the Queen of blackberry picking in Taylorville!
9 December 2014 at 18:26 · Like · 2
Jillian Nuth It was ouch but I got praised for getting the most and always got the pie as a reward. Grandad would go rabbit hunting while we picked
9 December 2014 at 18:27 · Like · 4
Heather Newby ha ha Sheree Menzies Mum and dad would take us blackberrying,,, and we would get buckets of blackberries. We also went mushrooming too. Are there still mushrooms on the Coast?
9 December 2014 at 18:38 · Like
Alan Messenger We used to get beautiful brown field mushrooms on the aerodrome. Had to keep an eye out for planes.
9 December 2014 at 18:42 · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies I actually don't know! I'm in Christchurch, Mum and Dad are in Greymouth but don't eat them.
9 December 2014 at 18:43 · Like · 1
Neil Wick had too beat the Parlament plane at dawn, but do remember getting the mushrooms.
9 December 2014 at 18:53 · Like · 2
Alan Messenger Those parliamentarians probably grew mushrooms. Would work on the theory 'keep them in the dark and feed them bullshit
9 December 2014 at 18:56 · Like · 3
Natesha Riley my grandfather still grows veges
9 December 2014 at 18:56 · Like · 2
Heather Newby Thats interesting David Lindsay about the fruit you grew in Ross.. dad couldn`t grow fruit in Blaketown. I think it`s because we lived by the sea.
9 December 2014 at 19:07 · Like
Heather Newby There used to be a wild greengage tree out Nelson creek way , in the middle of a paddock.
9 December 2014 at 19:08 · Like
David Lindsay Yeah theres like a microclimate in Ross. ...I think it has to do with it being tucked under the hills! Yellow passionfruit grow wild like the blackberries do!
9 December 2014 at 19:09 · Like · 1
Heather Newby isnt it interesting how there are micro climates on the coast? It`s the same out Nelson Creek way and Punakaiki.
9 December 2014 at 19:15 · Like · 2
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin Growing up in Dobson during the 50s and 60s almost every one grew a vege garden.Most people also had chooks.If you had too much of anything you would give it to your friends and neighbours. Simple days back then?
9 December 2014 at 19:33 · Like · 4
Neil Wick Ya also had nice gooseberries too.lol we used to raid them.
9 December 2014 at 19:35 · Like · 2
Helen Joan Forrest We had a great garden at home in Palmerston Street, even a hen house. Lovely sitting in it eating peas out of the pods.
9 December 2014 at 19:58 · Like · 2
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin So you were the sneaky buggers. no wonder Mum had no gooseberries to make jam!!
9 December 2014 at 19:59 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Gooseberries grow well on the coast.
9 December 2014 at 21:29 · Like
Heather Newby David Lindsay I remember seeing yellow passionfruit growing wild in Ross when we last visited there.
9 December 2014 at 21:30 · Edited · Like · 1
Irene Cook yea it used to be loverly .
9 December 2014 at 22:19 · Like · 2
Malcolm Howell I still remember my fathers vegetable garden in Byron Street, Greymouth. We were brought up on garden fresh vegetables. And a lot of people also had their own Fowl Yards and egg laying hens. Who can remember having to mix the morning mash, late afternoon it was wheat. Then collecting the eggs, while it was pouring with rain or there was a cold white frost on the ground. Memories.
9 December 2014 at 23:08 · Like · 10
Jakh Heremia we had ducks too.
10 December 2014 at 00:55 · Like · 1
Brenda Brown We used to put some bread in the morning mash Malcolm.
10 December 2014 at 15:51 · Like · 2
Brian McIntyre We had chooks too. CLARA CLUCK At the far end of the back of our section, we had a fowl run, enclosed with wire netting, to stop them getting out and into Dad’s garden. At the end of the garden season, the chooks were left out all day to scratch aroun...See More
10 December 2014 at 16:11 · Like · 2
Graeme Williams Growing up on the Coast In the 50's & 60's we always had a large vege garden and chooks. I suppose it was necessary in those days having a number of hungry mouths to feed. I still have a vege garden today and living in the winter-less north have been eating new spuds, beans etc since mid October.
10 December 2014 at 16:25 · Edited · Like · 2
Heather Creagh Sliding your hand under that broody hen. If you did it right you never got pecked. We had a cow called sally. I remember dad milking her.
10 December 2014 at 16:49 · Like · 1
Heather Newby remember those fake plastic eggs? Heather Creagh I think they were to deter rats? or was it for broody hens?
10 December 2014 at 16:52 · Edited · Like · 1
Heather Creagh I think it was to fool the hen. Ours were China i think. We were reared on those eggs and silverbeet and carrots.
10 December 2014 at 16:57 · Like · 2
Ray Chandler been there done that,and I would do it all again.
David Lindsay and now theres only me to feed seeems hardly worth it!
9 December 2014 at 18:15 · Like · 2
Heather Newby In the days of the cart and horse there was plenty of animal manure around but these days we have to be creative.
9 December 2014 at 18:16 · Like · 1
Jillian Nuth We built a raised garden over our clay soil. We grow strawberries potatoes corn broccoli lettuce kale peas celery carrots onions and all kinds of herbs.
9 December 2014 at 18:17 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Celery grows well in clay soil Jillian Nuth
9 December 2014 at 18:17 · Like
Jillian Nuth We have rhubarb grapes plum and peach trees and nectarine tree growing in the original soil
9 December 2014 at 18:19 · Like · 1
Jillian Nuth And a feijoa tree lol
9 December 2014 at 18:19 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Rhubarb was a staple... remember rhubarb and junket? Jillian Nuth
9 December 2014 at 18:20 · Like
Sheree Menzies Rhubarb and custard, yum!
9 December 2014 at 18:21 · Like · 2
David Lindsay I lived in Ross... we had Tamarillo's peaches plums gooseberries and currents as well as all the veges you could want...
9 December 2014 at 18:21 · Like · 2
Jillian Nuth My mum never made junket she like fancy 80s style cooking!! She made a mean rhubarb and apple crumble tho
9 December 2014 at 18:22 · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies I haven't had gooseberries in years, saw them at the supermarket today for $5.00 a punnet.
9 December 2014 at 18:22 · Like
Sheree Menzies Dad still goes blackberry picking and mum makes the jelly, we also use it for blackberry and apple crumble.
9 December 2014 at 18:23 · Like · 2
David Lindsay mmmmm Rhubarb and custard! and and fresh blackberries m the nearest blackberry patch we'd pick and freeze pounds of them!
9 December 2014 at 18:23 · Like · 2
Jillian Nuth I miss blackberry picking! I was the smallest so got pushed right into the middle of the bushes where all the best berries were lol
9 December 2014 at 18:24 · Like · 3
Sheree Menzies Ouch Jillian!
9 December 2014 at 18:25 · Like · 1
David Lindsay it wa slike a whole family outing... my wife at the time 4 kids and the dogs..... trying not to lose anyone in a bush or swamp... such fun!
9 December 2014 at 18:27 · Edited · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies Granny was the Queen of blackberry picking in Taylorville!
9 December 2014 at 18:26 · Like · 2
Jillian Nuth It was ouch but I got praised for getting the most and always got the pie as a reward. Grandad would go rabbit hunting while we picked
9 December 2014 at 18:27 · Like · 4
Heather Newby ha ha Sheree Menzies Mum and dad would take us blackberrying,,, and we would get buckets of blackberries. We also went mushrooming too. Are there still mushrooms on the Coast?
9 December 2014 at 18:38 · Like
Alan Messenger We used to get beautiful brown field mushrooms on the aerodrome. Had to keep an eye out for planes.
9 December 2014 at 18:42 · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies I actually don't know! I'm in Christchurch, Mum and Dad are in Greymouth but don't eat them.
9 December 2014 at 18:43 · Like · 1
Neil Wick had too beat the Parlament plane at dawn, but do remember getting the mushrooms.
9 December 2014 at 18:53 · Like · 2
Alan Messenger Those parliamentarians probably grew mushrooms. Would work on the theory 'keep them in the dark and feed them bullshit
9 December 2014 at 18:56 · Like · 3
Natesha Riley my grandfather still grows veges
9 December 2014 at 18:56 · Like · 2
Heather Newby Thats interesting David Lindsay about the fruit you grew in Ross.. dad couldn`t grow fruit in Blaketown. I think it`s because we lived by the sea.
9 December 2014 at 19:07 · Like
Heather Newby There used to be a wild greengage tree out Nelson creek way , in the middle of a paddock.
9 December 2014 at 19:08 · Like
David Lindsay Yeah theres like a microclimate in Ross. ...I think it has to do with it being tucked under the hills! Yellow passionfruit grow wild like the blackberries do!
9 December 2014 at 19:09 · Like · 1
Heather Newby isnt it interesting how there are micro climates on the coast? It`s the same out Nelson Creek way and Punakaiki.
9 December 2014 at 19:15 · Like · 2
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin Growing up in Dobson during the 50s and 60s almost every one grew a vege garden.Most people also had chooks.If you had too much of anything you would give it to your friends and neighbours. Simple days back then?
9 December 2014 at 19:33 · Like · 4
Neil Wick Ya also had nice gooseberries too.lol we used to raid them.
9 December 2014 at 19:35 · Like · 2
Helen Joan Forrest We had a great garden at home in Palmerston Street, even a hen house. Lovely sitting in it eating peas out of the pods.
9 December 2014 at 19:58 · Like · 2
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin So you were the sneaky buggers. no wonder Mum had no gooseberries to make jam!!
9 December 2014 at 19:59 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Gooseberries grow well on the coast.
9 December 2014 at 21:29 · Like
Heather Newby David Lindsay I remember seeing yellow passionfruit growing wild in Ross when we last visited there.
9 December 2014 at 21:30 · Edited · Like · 1
Irene Cook yea it used to be loverly .
9 December 2014 at 22:19 · Like · 2
Malcolm Howell I still remember my fathers vegetable garden in Byron Street, Greymouth. We were brought up on garden fresh vegetables. And a lot of people also had their own Fowl Yards and egg laying hens. Who can remember having to mix the morning mash, late afternoon it was wheat. Then collecting the eggs, while it was pouring with rain or there was a cold white frost on the ground. Memories.
9 December 2014 at 23:08 · Like · 10
Jakh Heremia we had ducks too.
10 December 2014 at 00:55 · Like · 1
Brenda Barry Brown We used to put some bread in the morning mash Malcolm.
10 December 2014 at 15:51 · Like · 2
Brian McIntyre We had chooks too. CLARA CLUCK At the far end of the back of our section, we had a fowl run, enclosed with wire netting, to stop them getting out and into Dad’s garden. At the end of the garden season, the chooks were left out all day to scratch aroun...See More
10 December 2014 at 16:11 · Like · 2
Graeme Williams Growing up on the Coast In the 50's & 60's we always had a large vege garden and chooks. I suppose it was necessary in those days having a number of hungry mouths to feed. I still have a vege garden today and living in the winter-less north have been eating new spuds, beans etc since mid October.
10 December 2014 at 16:25 · Edited · Like · 2
Heather Creagh Sliding your hand under that broody hen. If you did it right you never got pecked. We had a cow called sally. I remember dad milking her.
10 December 2014 at 16:49 · Like · 1
Heather Newby remember those fake plastic eggs? Heather Creagh I think they were to deter rats? or was it for broody hens?
10 December 2014 at 16:52 · Edited · Like · 1
Heather Creagh I think it was to fool the hen. Ours were China i think. We were reared on those eggs and silverbeet and carrots.
10 December 2014 at 16:57 · Like · 2
Ray Chandler been there done that,and I would do it all again.Dorothy Wills I still have a vege garden old habits don’t stop I don’t have to buy a lot of vegetables
Sue Christie Dorothy Wills me too
Heather Newby me too.. silver beet and spinach and celery and parsley is easy to grow
Dorothy Wills
Dorothy Wills Heather Newby I grow mainly carrots parsnips cabbages potatoes red onions sweet corn and leeks through the winter and lots of tomatoes
Trish Rennie Heather Newby with a family of seven children our vege garden looked almost the same as yours...as well as all the stuff your Dad put in to fertilise my father used to gather seaweed and dig it in.....possum carcasses ended up in there too as my brothers used to trap n shoot them for skins. We had a ginormous glass house which was heated by a boiler and we put in 800 tomatoe plants twice a year which were sold roadside to supplement income. We also had a house cow..All our excess vege Mum bottled in the copper...We never went hungry and to this day I still grow our own veges...
Heather Newby Dorothy Wills good on you.. tomatoes did well this year
Heather Newby Trish Rennie wow... that glasshouse sounds amazing.. do you have a photo?
Betty Falls Those were the days today there would be another house where that vegetable was maybe even two houses
Dorothy Wills Betty Falls true
David Owen Fittock Had to have a veg garden cuz veg supply was poor
Elle Lynk but be low demand as people grew them? and like biscuits/cakes etc. Many families had hens for eggs.
(and to eat). Most clothes were homemade too. Bought ones were probably expensive.
you made your own.
Lyn Whittle Still the norm in our house
Wayne Leckie Still have a wee veggie garden.can not beat the flavour of your own veggies
Heather Newby true. Tastes different and of course.. they are organic.
Wayne Nicholson Fortunately Granddad Joe gave me the interest in growing for the table and there is plenty of room on the Dunnolie section to carry on the tradition when we move over. Silverbeet, spinach. toms and herbs are grown year round here in ChCh. Good glasshouse helps.
Lynnette Beirne Wayne Nicholson I only had a small vege garden this last season but got great crops from my beans , tomatoes and courgettes
Wayne Nicholson Lynnette Beirne . We love it. Good therapy for the brain .
Kath Merv Moreton Wayne Nicholson I remember your grandad's garden Wayne and your grandma aunty Edna was a great cook.
Wayne Nicholson Kath Merv Moreton. I just loved my time spent there, so special. Breaks my heart to see the old place now.
Geoff Hale Wayne Nicholson Your grandad Joe had a good garden. Remember it well. I think he also had some ( “ liquid vegetables “ ) hidden in the garden from memory!
Margaret Newton Alley My Dad had the biggest veg garden, remember shelling peas on Christmas day, my Mum digging parsnips and carrots during the winter. Veg now days just don't taste the same.
Heather Newby i remember shelling peas.. so yummy
Bob Homewood Great idea ,we need to get back to teaching the basics of this in schools ,it would save a lot of people a little bit and contribute to making them self sufficient we do it
Wayne Nicholson So true Bob. $10.00 of silver beet plants gives us months of greens and we grow spuds, beetroot etc for next to nothing.
Lynnette Beirne Bob Homewood I am actually on a committee here on the Coast involved with increasing skills and getting people back to growing their own and relearning the skills of cooking from scratch again
I was blessed to have had a mother and Nana there were both amazing cooks and gardeners that taught me my skills in those fields
Bob Homewood Yes cooking ,sewing ,basic wood and metal work all need to taught at primary school level again
Roger Strong I taught horticulture in the later part of my teaching career and one of the fist things I ask former pupils is if they have a vege garden- most of them do and get a great deal of pleasure from it.
Heather Newby yes.. and silver beet and spinach and parsley etc.. takes nothing to grow.. easy
Lynnette Beirne Bob Homewood we are getting a lot of fruit trees planted too
I love growing my own fruit
Heather Newby Lynnette Beirne same.. i have a small orchard and i planted a mulberry tree about 5 years ago
Heather Newby Wayne Nicholson exactly.. cost effective
Jo Wakefield Bob Homewood Years 7&8 (Form 1&2) have a two year programme called Technology which is the teaching of cooking, sewing, metalwork and woodwork for both girls and boys. Many schools today have their own vegetable and fruit gardens as part of the Enviroschools programme.
Elle Lynk Fantastic. its just been lost in the past 30 years. There has to be a work ethic too.
Joy Meyer My dad had a great garden. We lived on a dairy farm and he would use the cow poop in the garden. Also when he killed a sheep or bull the guts would be buried in his garden. He always had a green thumb like his mother did..unlike me hahah. That's when we knew dad wasn't well cos he had lots of weeds coming up in his garden and he couldn't get on top of them. RIP dad. Love you
Heather Newby wow... that would be good.. having cow poo for your garden.. do you have a photo of your garden?
Joy Meyer Heather Newby no sorry.. That was over 40 years ago when we lived on the farm out Kokatahi. West Coast South Island
Heather Newby I made a "lasagne Garden"... i have two patches now..https://youtu.be/1-KF1JLFTIY
Heather Gaulter Definitely the norm..we ate what we grew back then, mum had a huge vege garden .. we had to weed and help look after, no garden no food ..we eat what we grow now, back to basics I say, too many choices today.. learn to grow there’s no better feeling
Elle Lynk And seasonal eating which is healthier and provides variety. .We were always under threat..dont eat the peas...or the gooseberries!
Digging huge parsnips out was soooo difficult!!
Helen Willis The old half acre sections have gone too
Wayne Nicholson Bought one in Dunollie. Plenty of room for the garden and Toy Shed !
Lynnette Beirne Wayne Nicholson we will need to start a local garden competition once you move over to live
Karen Potter Just like dad's. Pity more people didn't garden today.
Bruce Edwards Remember Freddie Wong at Okura fruit and vegie man
Debbie Smith I still garden but its knowledge we haven't passed down very well.
Heather Newby the advent of supermarkets was when it started declining.
Helen Cropper My Dad had a great veggie garden . Was his pride and joy.
Mary Costello Yep My Dad Always Had A Great Vege Garden...Used To Feed The Whole Neighbourhood
Denis-Pat Pilkington We ate well and I honestly dont think there was an obesity problem back then! No Maccas KFC or Burger king, just fish and chips as a treat on Friday night!
Sheryl Elizabeth Paki Mum and dad always had a vegie gatden so when I got married we had one too I live on my own now and retired but still have a vegie gardenPauline Walsh
Pauline Walsh I always hv a small vegie patch lv fresh silverbeet can't beet it
Annemarie Harris We had a huge vege garden and so did Nana and Grandad. We always went to Tauranga Bay to collect seaweed for the compost. Grandad would always get some silolage as well for his sandy soil.
Lyn Gosling We always have a really big vege garden. My husband loves his garden and loves to give away food when he sees a need, and takes it to our church where others can take it and share it around. It helped us lots when we had a family of 7, especially when It helped us lots when we had a family of 7, especially when the 7 of us were living on one student allowance when he re-trained. He makes pickles and that gets given out all over the place. and during Lockdown, of course we had lots of vges to survive on.
Jean Mehrtens My dad was very permaculture in some ways - get the horse to come and trim the lawn and leave the fertiliser ...
Marie Grgic Barneys garden is petty good now, don t know when hes with Emma,
Dianne Warrender My Dad had a fabulous garden in Reefton Remember holding sacks open so he could put the cow pats in out on different farms
Margaret Harrington My grandfather had a huge garden and he put horse manure in it also quite a bit of whitebait went in there
As there were no freezers then
Sue Dando I remember shoveling the cow dung into the wheelbarrow from the home paddock for the garden as a child.
Arthur Bass What about the bag of cowpats hanging in a 44 gallon drum used to feed the garden as well.
Heather Newby yes.. great stuff!
Peter Rosanowski I wasn't too popular with Dad when I tried to turn his potato patch into a long-jumping pit. He was an excellent gardener and his silver beet and rhubarb won many awards at the local A and P Show. Grandad Ladner, just a few doors away, was equally proficient.
Heather Newby i just love rhubarb!
Valerie Beavis My dad Harry Clark had a huge veggie garden in Reefton and we all help him as we got older to plant the potatoes, he kept us well feed, with the chooks and all as well he looked after us very well.
Catherine Brian Denton Valerie Beavis xCatherine's dad did as well....always had some to give away..so did Frank Hudson who lived by the road bridge going south out of Reefton
M
Greg Mait yeah there were 11 in our family and there was no back lawn it was all good organic vegetables. all the kids weeding early Saturday morning before being allowed out to play and cause trouble. lol. Great stuff
Glenn Johnston Greg Mait I remember your dad out in the garden with a transistor radio listening to the race meetings as he worked away on a Saturday afternoon.
Greg Mait Glenn Johnston Yeah for sure . He never gave us any tips on the horses though . I think Bags was the only one to take it up.
Marilyn Paterson My dad had a huge one too it was what you did then.
June Williams Marilyn Paterson my dad had a great vege garden as well.
Deborah Taylor My dad had a whole section next door to us, it was halved lengthwise with fruit trees on one side and vegetable on the other.
Kevin Bell Dad had a huge garden and we didnt need the Vege shop all year.
Angela Bell Kevin Bell I can remember the vege garden we had in Tapanui
Charil Milne True we always had lots vegetables growing up . Nothing beat pulling carrots or stealing peas to eat before you got caught by mum
Ann Christie Find it hard to believe that people dont grow some veggies
Saves money and taste greatBill Liddell My grandfather lived with us and had a magnificent vege garden that feed at least 4 families Anne your Dad always had a very good garden and magnificent fruit trees with lots of different fruits grafted to a main tree
Irene Cook yip my dad had a great vege garden.
Simon Judy Acarapi Wonderful photos and stories, thanks so much for sharing. Our parents had a great garden also. Fostered my interest to this day. Last week I took my 91yr old mother out to a local friend's farmm to pivk up bags of pony poo for our veg. garden. Our pony Bubbles and Camp would occasionally get into the veg garden in Karoro in the1960s and pull out the carrots and chew cabbages. Judy Acarapi (nee Dallas) Love to all during this very silly time.
Roger Howell Yes each house had its own vegetable garden!
Karen Potter
People should have a veg garden. Far cheaper than shop bought veg
Lorraine O'Donoghue
Karen Potter plus you know what sprays and chemicals etc have been used on your vegies.
Denise Eckersley
Karen Potter and taste better
Alan Sheehan
Heading back to that is happening more now.
John Bennett
Still got one not very big but still have it
Ann Christie
Have one and think we will be heading back that way Maybe not as big and for all but even a small garden saves you money.
Lorraine O'Donoghue
Ann Christie and you will be eating fresh! Nothing nicer!
Tom Jones
Never said we were bored as kids, otherwise pulling weeds in the garden, actually got to learn life skills, always outside if not raining back then, weren't allowed to sit around all day doing nothing inside
Kay Bruce
I had a mother who would dispute that.
Linda Gascoigne
The qtr acre section with the vegetable garden right down the back so the lawn was left for play. Remember it so well.
Used to sit in the vege garden and eat beans peas tomato baby carrots.
John Paget
Still do
Hayzle Mann-Hughes
And. 1960s & 1970s and today
Michael Welsh
Still have one
Linda Sting
Yes my father always had a huge vege garden. He and that was sooo good
Patricia Herd
And we didn’t have freezers in those days but plenty of bottling was done. Funnily enough I planted out 6 lettuce this morning.
Anne Conaghan
It is such a pleasure to eat veges from our garden ..so many people are gardening again..one of the few ways we can save on the grocery bill.Good one Jim xxx
Justine Warren Pearce
Sometimes mum would forget to wash the cabbage, it was ok if you found a whole bug but not so good if only found a half of one. The vegies tasted so much better back then.
Tex Everett
My dad was a great gardener. We always had lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Mum made jams and preserves for the off season. Good fresh home grown picked ripe and not green like most fruits today.
Stacey Mather - Clouston
Mum always had a vege garden and I would get to grow carrots and radishes.... I don't like radishes
Now I grow all sorts of fruit and veg, sheep and eggs myself
Cheryl Townsend
They were great days vegetables were so good out of the garden
Bronwen Skates
Parents in 50s and 5 children so we grew up with vege gardens , fruit trees and nearly everyone had chooks. No going to Supermarkets more than once , Mum would have a fortnightly grocery order delivered by boy on bike . Fresh bread was everyday collected from Bakery early morning by one of us kids in a flour sack . Healthy way of living as no plastic anywhere.
Anita Lorraine Barltrop
And the greengrocers
Kevin Gwatkin
Still have a good size vege garden, always planted out with lots of Veggies
David Meech
Tomatoes are pretty easy to grow. Ridiculous when you see them selling at $15 a kilo in the supermarkets.
Deb Smith
1/4 or 1/2 acre of vege garden my grandfather tended at their home and fed family and friends.
Deborah Sweetman
Nd chickens.
Paul Rennie
And with the state of the land up north island. We will need to grow our own veges for a few years now as the farmers can't get seeds planted due to wet soil.
Hemi Mason
Yes we did mum an dad wow
Colin McKinney
Why isn’t everyone still doing it? Instead of heading to food banks.
Kevin Bell
Still following in my father's footsteps.
Rob Lunn
My father always had a big garden and what we didn’t use he gave away to friends and neighbours in Dobson he was a pretty straight up sort of guy and always maintained that his garden was at its best when we still had the tin can toilet and my brother and I were on the possums it was all dug routinely into the garden the Veges flourished and nobody ever got sick
Kay Bruce
I had a mother who would dispute that.
Linda Gascoigne
The qtr acre section with the vegetable garden right down the back so the lawn was left for play. Remember it so well.
Used to sit in the vege garden and eat beans peas tomato baby carrots.
John Paget
Still do
Hayzle Mann-Hughes
And. 1960s & 1970s and today
Michael Welsh
Still have one
Linda Sting
Yes my father always had a huge vege garden. He and that was sooo good
Patricia Herd
And we didn’t have freezers in those days but plenty of bottling was done. Funnily enough I planted out 6 lettuce this morning.
Anne Conaghan
It is such a pleasure to eat veges from our garden ..so many people are gardening again..one of the few ways we can save on the grocery bill.Good one Jim
Justine Warren Pearce
Sometimes mum would forget to wash the cabbage, it was ok if you found a whole bug but not so good if only found a half of one. The vegies tasted so much better back then.
Tex Everett
My dad was a great gardener. We always had lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Mum made jams and preserves for the off season. Good fresh home grown picked ripe and not green like most fruits today.
Heather Newby
Tex Everett i just picked some tree ripened peaches off my tree,,. so much nicer than shop bought
Reply1m
Stacey Mather - Clouston
Mum always had a vege garden and I would get to grow carrots and radishes.... I don't like radishes
Now I grow all sorts of fruit and veg, sheep and eggs myself
Cheryl Townsend
They were great days vegetables were so good out of the garden
Bronwen Skates
Parents in 50s and 5 children so we grew up with vege gardens , fruit trees and nearly everyone had chooks. No going to Supermarkets more than once , Mum would have a fortnightly grocery order delivered by boy on bike . Fresh bread was everyday collected from Bakery early morning by one of us kids in a flour sack . Healthy way of living as no plastic anywhere.
Anita Lorraine Barltrop
And the greengrocers
Kevin Gwatkin
Still have a good size vege garden, always planted out with lots of Veggies
Heather Newby
Kevin Gwatkin good on you.. what do you grow
David Meech
Tomatoes are pretty easy to grow. Ridiculous when you see them selling at $15 a kilo in the supermarkets.
Heather Newby
David Meech i just picked a few from my garden
David Meech
Me too.
Deb Smith
1/4 or 1/2 acre of vege garden my grandfather tended at their home and fed family and friends.
Heather Newby
Deb Smith lots of cabbages and leeks,onions and potatoes i bet
Deborah Sweetman
Nd chickens.
Paul Rennie
And with the state of the land up north island. We will need to grow our own veges for a few years now as the farmers can't get seeds planted due to wet soil.
Hemi Mason
Yes we did mum an dad wow
Colin McKinney
Why isn’t everyone still doing it? Instead of heading to food banks.
Reply42m
Kevin Bell
Still following in my father's footsteps.
Catherine Carey
Kevin Bell should hope so but not some of stuff he put in the garden I hope when Mr Mehrtens didnt call
Kevin Bell
Didn't do us any harm.Plenty of it coming out of the Beehive now.
Catherine Carey
you're right there made veges grow
Rob Lunn
My father always had a big garden and what we didn’t use he gave away to friends and neighbours in Dobson he was a pretty straight up sort of guy and always maintained that his garden was at its best when we still had the tin can toilet and my brother and I were on the possums it was all dug routinely into the garden the Veges flourished and nobody ever got sick
Anna Wright
True that. Mostly the basics but plenty of it.
Christine Peacock
We never went hungry!! We ate everything!! You certainly didn’t complain.. we were healthy and happy
Bob Adele Johnston
i also had a garden and loved bottling jams pickled onions with honey makes my mouth water just thinking about them chuttney , and beetroot lots of things
Bob Naylor
Recently visited my Great Uncle, Collin Mutch, in West port. He’s been tending the same garden for at least 30 years, absolutely first class everythin
Linda Hughes
Dead right! My dad's beans were prolific and very tasty.
Colin Harman
Still have and get a lot of enjoyment and produce from it
Jeanette Hall
More of this needs to be taughtKerry Keating
My father kept a fantastic vege garden when we were kids. He also had a good sized fowl yard as well.
Vern Pattinson
Kerry Keating dad did as we'll Kerry
Rob Absalom
Kerry Keating same
Kerry Keating
That was the thing back then. Supermarkets hadn't started then, so the cost was too much. I can see it going back to those days.
Christine Hogg
There was no buying a chook at the shop either, you either had to keep your own or hope there was a friendly neighbour who'd let you have one. Chook was a special meal.
Bronwen Skates
Kerry Keating same with my parents. Chooks , vege gardens and a lot of fruit trees.
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer
I’m still big on the vege garden, my father instilled in me a slightly green thumb, busy bottling and pickling and freezing of late. There’s Nowt so fine as eating home grown vegetables and fruits. The taste is like an explosion in your mouth. And it’s good for your mental health, getting your fingers in the soil..
Kate Adams
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer Brendon grew the best vege garden in Hokitika loved all those fresh veggies straight from the garden
Des O'Connell
Everyone should go back to growing there own vegetables
Pat Dooley
Des O'Connell Remember in the 1950s when we all had gardens we had 1/4 acrea sections
Annie O'Connell
Des O'Connell I have saved the latest yellow capsicums for you to pick on Friday.xx
Lynnette Beirne
This is a photo of me in our family vege garden over 60 years ago in Hokitika
Jeanine Bishop
Yes my mum grew an amazing garden
Paul Robin
Jeanine Bishop say Hi to Dave for me Jeanine!
Jeanine Bishop
Paul Robin David said hi back
Carolyn Luck
My Dad had a wonderful vegetable garden in Greymouth.
When my parents retired to Christchurch, he had a great vegetable garden also.
Someone said to him it must be much easier gardening here in Christchurch than in Greymouth.
My Dad replied not at all, Christchurch weather is much tougher for a gardener than Greymouth!!
Barbara Macilquham
My parents had a huge vege garden,fruit trees,summer berries and feijoas.they made jams,bottled fruit and froze veges.plus home made ginger beer with the occasional bang!!Mum also knitted and sewed.good times!!
Jock Allen
We did as well remember going into the paddock next door to get manure for the gardenDon"t think that kids today would do that
Sandra Douglas
Jock Allen we used stand in cow shit to keep our feet warm on cold morning dad told me I'd grow taller..
Jennie McKinnon
We had an amazing vege plot in Dunollie when we were growing up.Roses at the end to bring the bees,gooseberries, blackcurrants.you name it my dad would grow them.
John Webster
Jennie McKinnon your dad would have learnt it all from his dad, best garden in the area
Karen Peters
Dad had an amazing garden in Kumara.
Murray Williams
now they are to lazy to even mow the lawn
Carol Lamb
I remember buying the Yates seeds from Cobden Primary School (1960's) and helping Dad with the veggie garden.
John Webster
Carol Lamb now a days those Yates seeds are genetically modified so you can only use them once unlike years ago where you grew a pumpkin and used the seeds from them to grow others or any other veg, sad world and getting sadder
Graeme Peters
We're heading back to those days really fast ,,but the fools can't see it
Anne Bruce
I now have a very small yard. Almost every bit of soil is dedicated to food profuction. Plus 4 bins with more soil and vegies. Potatoes were grown in bags. No room for fruit trees tho.
Bronwen Skates
We've always had a vege garden and when our family were growing up had chooks as well. Now in our 70s and we have tunnel house and smaller vege plots plus 2 fruit trees all on a small section .
Dennis Thompson
I remember those days!
Lynnette Beirne
We haven’t got as much as we had earlier in the season but having fresh veges grown at home is the best
Neroli Johnson
Always have
Sandra Douglas
Back in those days they only had snails...now we got all diseases under sun..i got Whitefly last year..& its mongrel to kill..only thing works is Coldwater surf frothed up in cold water...tried nature's way ..may as well drink it myself.
Catherine Carey
still grow mine must be the Bell gene
John Webster
Catherine Carey the coaster gene, i am north of Auckland now and have a great garden that I share with others
Sue Christie
Still are
John Webster
Sue Christie best thing is a fresh garden, no preservatives and hormones, that's why us coasters live longer
Kevin Bell
Still do.
Patricia Stephens
Mum and Dad had massive vegetable gardern. Had vest strawberry patch, grew raspberries, gooseberries and heaps vegetables.
Joy Meyer
Dad always had a great vege garden. We lived on a dairy farm so he used the cow poo for fertiliser . Always had lovely veges. Wish I had his green thumb.
Johannes Debreuk
I remember those days!
Brian Kelly
Dad spent all his spare time in the garden. Just had to compete with the possums.
Liz Tobin
We where alot healthier then...
Phil Bargh
Reminds me of my dad in 70s/80s now I’m doing it also
Pauline Schafer
Dad had a really good vege and flower garden.
Joe Kelly
The number of Saturday mornings I spent working in the garden
Christine Stewart
My grandparents had an amazing garden including fruit trees.
My parents had a garden also … feed us and the neighbours at times .
Since being back in New Zealand my son and I have been growing veg in our wee garden for last 2 years .. going well this year as well
Sheri Lee
Still the sensible way but requires a bit of effort
Katharine McCoy
How many Farther's/Husband's do the growing now?
John Webster
Katharine McCoy me, always had a garden
Pauline Weeks
You do a great job Lynnette. Always beautiful fresh vegetables. Your Dad would be proud of you.
Marion Robina Hogarth
Always had a great vegetable garden when we were growing, and I still have one now. Why not grow your own veges ?
Margaret McBride
he had a great garden .
Karen Drummond
Its such a shame that folk just don't have the time to have and look after a vegetable garden. We always had one when we were growing up, fresh vegetables, we had chickens so heaps of fresh eggs, but no fruit trees !! Only a grapevine.
Michelle-David Thomas
C May L'Huillier yes sure did. And they could grow just about everything they needed.
Bruce Whitfield
So so true.
Tessa Daisy
Fabulous garden
Tony Hall
And an air raid shelter
Dianne Johnson
We would have gone hungry without it. Lots of chooks provided meat and eggs, hunter gatherer provided venison and fish, especially whitebait in season - talented baker mother baked the daily bread, whatever else could you want. We were never hungry.
Joe Kelly
It helped having wages high enough that one person in work could buy a house and support a family. It also helped having quarter acre sections. Those things are long gone.
Lyn Whittle
Still do
Fay Gilson
We still grow our own garden but no spuds this year
Judy Crestani
I am assuming that gardens were needed also incase of striking
Wendy James
I remember my Grandad royce an Nana Dulice Williams having amazing big veggie garden in hokitika.
Cheryl Hedley
What vegetable does the west coast grow the best of?
Anne Honey
And we were given seeds by the school and we learnt to garden.
Pat Dooley
Things were so different back then. Most homes could afford to have mum at home 24/7. With shops only trading 5 days a week most families had Saturday for sports and Sunday at home. Wool and meat prices were high so NZ was having good times. Funny how much better life was when we are looking backwards
23 April at 20:05 · Like · 1
Nancye Mahuika They took such pride in their gardens and we were all very well feed.
23 April at 20:51 · Like · 3
Sonia Dando Our dad i remember digging whitebait into the garden seaweed in the spud garden we had every veg growing
23 April at 23:46 · Like · 1
Sandra Geddes
24 April at 07:39 · Like
Sandra Geddes Yes they did use whitebait no fridges,we all had big gardens feed us all
24 April at 07:39 · Like · 1
Heather Bennett We all had gardens like this and my husband still has a great garden just like my dads
24 April at 08:48 · Like
Kevin Gwatkin yes. It was the way we lived then. We were pretty self sufficient regarding vegetables. If you didn't grow it, then you didn't eat it! I think it was a fall out from the war when everything was dug up to grow vegetables.
24 April at 08:55 · Like · 1
Lois Walton I still remember seeing the men going home at the end of the day with the sacks of manure and coal draped over the bars on their bikes
24 April at 09:00 · Like · 2
Lyn Wallace Remember the whitebait, fish frames and seaweed going into family gardens. Janet Kilkelly I remember Uncle Jim coming off the river with kerosine tin of whitebait, dump it in a trench in dads garden then going back to the river for another round. Those were the days.
24 April at 09:04 · Like · 1
Andrea Ellen Graves Aye, I've been told about that whitebait thing lol. The thing is on the Coast you can grow veges with such ease; isn't the climate fricken perfect for them? Kids in school are learning to garden now which makes my heart glad. I can't wait to be back there with me vege patch. It would have been done from the earliest, earliest of days. My Mum and my Nana (both Coasters) ALWAYS had their garden... Mum still does.
24 April at 10:24 · Like · 1
Delwyn Hughes I used to bike with dad to Victoria park and hold the sack open for him to shovel in the horse manure, then we would bike home, dad loved his veggie garden but more importantly his roses for mum.
24 April at 11:30 · Like
Don Hutton During the war when horse drawn transport was used Mum kept an eye out for manure on the road and had a bucket and shovel ready at the front door to pick it up.
24 April at 11:45 · Like · 1
Ivan Murray Wilson Important skill...
Sheree Menzies Dad did the horse manure from the racetracks too! Even when they were in Rangiora.
9 December 2014 at 18:12 · Like
David Lindsay always had one growing up and then as an adult myself.... Had the best veges when we lived in Ross... but since moving to Christchurch can't grow veges for crap! not enough rain methinks!
9 December 2014 at 18:13 · Like · 4
Heather Newby Fresh peas have the best taste!
9 December 2014 at 18:14 · Like · 1
Jillian Nuth I live in chch and have a massive vege garden! Its all in the soil
9 December 2014 at 18:14 · Like · 4
David Lindsay i used a combination of grass clippings sheep manure and river sand.... created a garden from scratch on a shingle base...
9 December 2014 at 18:15 · Like · 1
Sheree Menzies Watering system helps.
9 December 2014 at 18:15 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Dad always had a big vegetable garden . I don`t ever remember Mum buying vegetables from a shop... except canned peas.
9 December 2014 at 17:46 · Like · 1
Jennifer Gaskell Dad even had a vege garden in Otira, A few of the residents told Dad nothing would grow, but it did, and in Greymouth he had an awesome garden,we were always eating veges from the garden.
9 December 2014 at 17:55 · Like · 4
Maree Lawlor Mine too Heather and Dad taught me a lot.Only he didnt teach me how to make it the husbands job!
9 December 2014 at 17:56 · Like · 5
Jillian Nuth Pity hnz now makes homes crammed close together with no gardens frown emoticon
9 December 2014 at 17:59 · Like · 1
Rebekah Geer Yes, we had big gardens no matter where we lived, never bought veges
9 December 2014 at 18:01 · Like · 1
Heather Newby silver beet.. peas.. asparagus.. globe artichokes.. carrots..spuds..cabbage..caulis..parsnips.. swedes.. lettuce.. tomatoes.. cucumbers.
9 December 2014 at 18:07 · Like · 2
Heather Newby Dad grew peanuts one year
9 December 2014 at 18:07 · Like · 3
Sheree Menzies Dad still does this and has instilled the same in us. Nothing better than home grown.
9 December 2014 at 18:07 · Like · 3
Heather Newby Same here Sheree Menzies I have a vege garden
9 December 2014 at 18:08 · Like · 2
Yvonne Brown my Dad had huge vege garden also, very similar to this one, rows and rows of spud too,
9 December 2014 at 18:09 · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies Dad loves getting in and helping whenever he comes to visit.
9 December 2014 at 18:09 · Like · 1
Heather Newby I dodn`t ever remember Mum and Dad buying spuds.Dad would go out into the garden after coming home from the mine. he would go up to the Goodsheds and get animal manure out of the wagons. and he would go to the race track and get horse manure.
9 December 2014 at 18:10 · Like · 4
Heather Newby He grew nice strawberries
9 December 2014 at 18:11 · Like · 1
Sheree Menzies Dad did the horse manure from the racetracks too! Even when they were in Rangiora.
9 December 2014 at 18:12 · Like
David Lindsay always had one growing up and then as an adult myself.... Had the best veges when we lived in Ross... but since moving to Christchurch can't grow veges for crap! not enough rain methinks!
9 December 2014 at 18:13 · Like · 4
Heather Newby Fresh peas have the best taste!
9 December 2014 at 18:14 · Like · 1
Jillian Nuth I live in chch and have a massive vege garden! Its all in the soil
9 December 2014 at 18:14 · Like · 4
David Lindsay i used a combination of grass clippings sheep manure and river sand.... created a garden from scratch on a shingle base...
9 December 2014 at 18:15 · Like · 1
Sheree Menzies Watering system helps.
9 December 2014 at 18:15 · Like · 1
David Lindsay and now theres only me to feed seeems hardly worth it!
9 December 2014 at 18:15 · Like · 2
Heather Newby In the days of the cart and horse there was plenty of animal manure around but these days we have to be creative.
9 December 2014 at 18:16 · Like · 1
Jillian Nuth We built a raised garden over our clay soil. We grow strawberries potatoes corn broccoli lettuce kale peas celery carrots onions and all kinds of herbs.
9 December 2014 at 18:17 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Celery grows well in clay soil Jillian Nuth
9 December 2014 at 18:17 · Like
Jillian Nuth We have rhubarb grapes plum and peach trees and nectarine tree growing in the original soil
9 December 2014 at 18:19 · Like · 1
Jillian Nuth And a feijoa tree lol
9 December 2014 at 18:19 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Rhubarb was a staple... remember rhubarb and junket? Jillian Nuth
9 December 2014 at 18:20 · Like
Sheree Menzies Rhubarb and custard, yum!
9 December 2014 at 18:21 · Like · 2
David Lindsay I lived in Ross... we had Tamarillo's peaches plums gooseberries and currents as well as all the veges you could want...
9 December 2014 at 18:21 · Like · 2
Jillian Nuth My mum never made junket she like fancy 80s style cooking!! She made a mean rhubarb and apple crumble tho
9 December 2014 at 18:22 · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies I haven't had gooseberries in years, saw them at the supermarket today for $5.00 a punnet.
9 December 2014 at 18:22 · Like
Sheree Menzies Dad still goes blackberry picking and mum makes the jelly, we also use it for blackberry and apple crumble.
9 December 2014 at 18:23 · Like · 2
David Lindsay mmmmm Rhubarb and custard! and and fresh blackberries m the nearest blackberry patch we'd pick and freeze pounds of them!
9 December 2014 at 18:23 · Like · 2
Jillian Nuth I miss blackberry picking! I was the smallest so got pushed right into the middle of the bushes where all the best berries were lol
9 December 2014 at 18:24 · Like · 3
Sheree Menzies Ouch Jillian!
See Translation
9 December 2014 at 18:25 · Like · 1
David Lindsay it wa slike a whole family outing... my wife at the time 4 kids and the dogs..... trying not to lose anyone in a bush or swamp... such fun!
9 December 2014 at 18:27 · Edited · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies Granny was the Queen of blackberry picking in Taylorville!
9 December 2014 at 18:26 · Like · 2
Jillian Nuth It was ouch but I got praised for getting the most and always got the pie as a reward. Grandad would go rabbit hunting while we picked
9 December 2014 at 18:27 · Like · 4
Heather Newby ha ha Sheree Menzies Mum and dad would take us blackberrying,,, and we would get buckets of blackberries. We also went mushrooming too. Are there still mushrooms on the Coast?
9 December 2014 at 18:38 · Like
Alan Messenger We used to get beautiful brown field mushrooms on the aerodrome. Had to keep an eye out for planes.
9 December 2014 at 18:42 · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies I actually don't know! I'm in Christchurch, Mum and Dad are in Greymouth but don't eat them.
9 December 2014 at 18:43 · Like · 1
Neil Wick had too beat the Parlament plane at dawn, but do remember getting the mushrooms.
9 December 2014 at 18:53 · Like · 2
Alan Messenger Those parliamentarians probably grew mushrooms. Would work on the theory 'keep them in the dark and feed them bullshit
9 December 2014 at 18:56 · Like · 3
Natesha Riley my grandfather still grows veges
9 December 2014 at 18:56 · Like · 2
Heather Newby Thats interesting David Lindsay about the fruit you grew in Ross.. dad couldn`t grow fruit in Blaketown. I think it`s because we lived by the sea.
9 December 2014 at 19:07 · Like
Heather Newby There used to be a wild greengage tree out Nelson creek way , in the middle of a paddock.
9 December 2014 at 19:08 · Like
David Lindsay Yeah theres like a microclimate in Ross. ...I think it has to do with it being tucked under the hills! Yellow passionfruit grow wild like the blackberries do!
9 December 2014 at 19:09 · Like · 1
Heather Newby isnt it interesting how there are micro climates on the coast? It`s the same out Nelson Creek way and Punakaiki.
9 December 2014 at 19:15 · Like · 2
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin Growing up in Dobson during the 50s and 60s almost every one grew a vege garden.Most people also had chooks.If you had too much of anything you would give it to your friends and neighbours. Simple days back then?
9 December 2014 at 19:33 · Like · 4
Neil Wick Ya also had nice gooseberries too.lol we used to raid them.
9 December 2014 at 19:35 · Like · 2
Helen Joan Forrest We had a great garden at home in Palmerston Street, even a hen house. Lovely sitting in it eating peas out of the pods.
9 December 2014 at 19:58 · Like · 2
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin So you were the sneaky buggers. no wonder Mum had no gooseberries to make jam!!
9 December 2014 at 19:59 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Gooseberries grow well on the coast.
9 December 2014 at 21:29 · Like
Heather Newby David Lindsay I remember seeing yellow passionfruit growing wild in Ross when we last visited there.
9 December 2014 at 21:30 · Edited · Like · 1
Irene Cook yea it used to be loverly .
9 December 2014 at 22:19 · Like · 2
Malcolm Howell I still remember my fathers vegetable garden in Byron Street, Greymouth. We were brought up on garden fresh vegetables. And a lot of people also had their own Fowl Yards and egg laying hens. Who can remember having to mix the morning mash, late afternoon it was wheat. Then collecting the eggs, while it was pouring with rain or there was a cold white frost on the ground. Memories.
9 December 2014 at 23:08 · Like · 10
Jakh Heremia we had ducks too.
10 December 2014 at 00:55 · Like · 1
Brenda Brown We used to put some bread in the morning mash Malcolm.
10 December 2014 at 15:51 · Like · 2
Brian McIntyre We had chooks too. CLARA CLUCK At the far end of the back of our section, we had a fowl run, enclosed with wire netting, to stop them getting out and into Dad’s garden. At the end of the garden season, the chooks were left out all day to scratch aroun...See More
10 December 2014 at 16:11 · Like · 2
Graeme Williams Growing up on the Coast In the 50's & 60's we always had a large vege garden and chooks. I suppose it was necessary in those days having a number of hungry mouths to feed. I still have a vege garden today and living in the winter-less north have been eating new spuds, beans etc since mid October.
10 December 2014 at 16:25 · Edited · Like · 2
Heather Creagh Sliding your hand under that broody hen. If you did it right you never got pecked. We had a cow called sally. I remember dad milking her.
10 December 2014 at 16:49 · Like · 1
Heather Newby remember those fake plastic eggs? Heather Creagh I think they were to deter rats? or was it for broody hens?
10 December 2014 at 16:52 · Edited · Like · 1
Heather Creagh I think it was to fool the hen. Ours were China i think. We were reared on those eggs and silverbeet and carrots.
10 December 2014 at 16:57 · Like · 2
Ray Chandler been there done that,and I would do it all again.
David Lindsay and now theres only me to feed seeems hardly worth it!
9 December 2014 at 18:15 · Like · 2
Heather Newby In the days of the cart and horse there was plenty of animal manure around but these days we have to be creative.
9 December 2014 at 18:16 · Like · 1
Jillian Nuth We built a raised garden over our clay soil. We grow strawberries potatoes corn broccoli lettuce kale peas celery carrots onions and all kinds of herbs.
9 December 2014 at 18:17 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Celery grows well in clay soil Jillian Nuth
9 December 2014 at 18:17 · Like
Jillian Nuth We have rhubarb grapes plum and peach trees and nectarine tree growing in the original soil
9 December 2014 at 18:19 · Like · 1
Jillian Nuth And a feijoa tree lol
9 December 2014 at 18:19 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Rhubarb was a staple... remember rhubarb and junket? Jillian Nuth
9 December 2014 at 18:20 · Like
Sheree Menzies Rhubarb and custard, yum!
9 December 2014 at 18:21 · Like · 2
David Lindsay I lived in Ross... we had Tamarillo's peaches plums gooseberries and currents as well as all the veges you could want...
9 December 2014 at 18:21 · Like · 2
Jillian Nuth My mum never made junket she like fancy 80s style cooking!! She made a mean rhubarb and apple crumble tho
9 December 2014 at 18:22 · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies I haven't had gooseberries in years, saw them at the supermarket today for $5.00 a punnet.
9 December 2014 at 18:22 · Like
Sheree Menzies Dad still goes blackberry picking and mum makes the jelly, we also use it for blackberry and apple crumble.
9 December 2014 at 18:23 · Like · 2
David Lindsay mmmmm Rhubarb and custard! and and fresh blackberries m the nearest blackberry patch we'd pick and freeze pounds of them!
9 December 2014 at 18:23 · Like · 2
Jillian Nuth I miss blackberry picking! I was the smallest so got pushed right into the middle of the bushes where all the best berries were lol
9 December 2014 at 18:24 · Like · 3
Sheree Menzies Ouch Jillian!
9 December 2014 at 18:25 · Like · 1
David Lindsay it wa slike a whole family outing... my wife at the time 4 kids and the dogs..... trying not to lose anyone in a bush or swamp... such fun!
9 December 2014 at 18:27 · Edited · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies Granny was the Queen of blackberry picking in Taylorville!
9 December 2014 at 18:26 · Like · 2
Jillian Nuth It was ouch but I got praised for getting the most and always got the pie as a reward. Grandad would go rabbit hunting while we picked
9 December 2014 at 18:27 · Like · 4
Heather Newby ha ha Sheree Menzies Mum and dad would take us blackberrying,,, and we would get buckets of blackberries. We also went mushrooming too. Are there still mushrooms on the Coast?
9 December 2014 at 18:38 · Like
Alan Messenger We used to get beautiful brown field mushrooms on the aerodrome. Had to keep an eye out for planes.
9 December 2014 at 18:42 · Like · 2
Sheree Menzies I actually don't know! I'm in Christchurch, Mum and Dad are in Greymouth but don't eat them.
9 December 2014 at 18:43 · Like · 1
Neil Wick had too beat the Parlament plane at dawn, but do remember getting the mushrooms.
9 December 2014 at 18:53 · Like · 2
Alan Messenger Those parliamentarians probably grew mushrooms. Would work on the theory 'keep them in the dark and feed them bullshit
9 December 2014 at 18:56 · Like · 3
Natesha Riley my grandfather still grows veges
9 December 2014 at 18:56 · Like · 2
Heather Newby Thats interesting David Lindsay about the fruit you grew in Ross.. dad couldn`t grow fruit in Blaketown. I think it`s because we lived by the sea.
9 December 2014 at 19:07 · Like
Heather Newby There used to be a wild greengage tree out Nelson creek way , in the middle of a paddock.
9 December 2014 at 19:08 · Like
David Lindsay Yeah theres like a microclimate in Ross. ...I think it has to do with it being tucked under the hills! Yellow passionfruit grow wild like the blackberries do!
9 December 2014 at 19:09 · Like · 1
Heather Newby isnt it interesting how there are micro climates on the coast? It`s the same out Nelson Creek way and Punakaiki.
9 December 2014 at 19:15 · Like · 2
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin Growing up in Dobson during the 50s and 60s almost every one grew a vege garden.Most people also had chooks.If you had too much of anything you would give it to your friends and neighbours. Simple days back then?
9 December 2014 at 19:33 · Like · 4
Neil Wick Ya also had nice gooseberries too.lol we used to raid them.
9 December 2014 at 19:35 · Like · 2
Helen Joan Forrest We had a great garden at home in Palmerston Street, even a hen house. Lovely sitting in it eating peas out of the pods.
9 December 2014 at 19:58 · Like · 2
Robert Fay Lemon Griffin So you were the sneaky buggers. no wonder Mum had no gooseberries to make jam!!
9 December 2014 at 19:59 · Like · 1
Heather Newby Gooseberries grow well on the coast.
9 December 2014 at 21:29 · Like
Heather Newby David Lindsay I remember seeing yellow passionfruit growing wild in Ross when we last visited there.
9 December 2014 at 21:30 · Edited · Like · 1
Irene Cook yea it used to be loverly .
9 December 2014 at 22:19 · Like · 2
Malcolm Howell I still remember my fathers vegetable garden in Byron Street, Greymouth. We were brought up on garden fresh vegetables. And a lot of people also had their own Fowl Yards and egg laying hens. Who can remember having to mix the morning mash, late afternoon it was wheat. Then collecting the eggs, while it was pouring with rain or there was a cold white frost on the ground. Memories.
9 December 2014 at 23:08 · Like · 10
Jakh Heremia we had ducks too.
10 December 2014 at 00:55 · Like · 1
Brenda Barry Brown We used to put some bread in the morning mash Malcolm.
10 December 2014 at 15:51 · Like · 2
Brian McIntyre We had chooks too. CLARA CLUCK At the far end of the back of our section, we had a fowl run, enclosed with wire netting, to stop them getting out and into Dad’s garden. At the end of the garden season, the chooks were left out all day to scratch aroun...See More
10 December 2014 at 16:11 · Like · 2
Graeme Williams Growing up on the Coast In the 50's & 60's we always had a large vege garden and chooks. I suppose it was necessary in those days having a number of hungry mouths to feed. I still have a vege garden today and living in the winter-less north have been eating new spuds, beans etc since mid October.
10 December 2014 at 16:25 · Edited · Like · 2
Heather Creagh Sliding your hand under that broody hen. If you did it right you never got pecked. We had a cow called sally. I remember dad milking her.
10 December 2014 at 16:49 · Like · 1
Heather Newby remember those fake plastic eggs? Heather Creagh I think they were to deter rats? or was it for broody hens?
10 December 2014 at 16:52 · Edited · Like · 1
Heather Creagh I think it was to fool the hen. Ours were China i think. We were reared on those eggs and silverbeet and carrots.
10 December 2014 at 16:57 · Like · 2
Ray Chandler been there done that,and I would do it all again.Dorothy Wills I still have a vege garden old habits don’t stop I don’t have to buy a lot of vegetables
Sue Christie Dorothy Wills me too
Heather Newby me too.. silver beet and spinach and celery and parsley is easy to grow
Dorothy Wills
Dorothy Wills Heather Newby I grow mainly carrots parsnips cabbages potatoes red onions sweet corn and leeks through the winter and lots of tomatoes
Trish Rennie Heather Newby with a family of seven children our vege garden looked almost the same as yours...as well as all the stuff your Dad put in to fertilise my father used to gather seaweed and dig it in.....possum carcasses ended up in there too as my brothers used to trap n shoot them for skins. We had a ginormous glass house which was heated by a boiler and we put in 800 tomatoe plants twice a year which were sold roadside to supplement income. We also had a house cow..All our excess vege Mum bottled in the copper...We never went hungry and to this day I still grow our own veges...
Heather Newby Dorothy Wills good on you.. tomatoes did well this year
Heather Newby Trish Rennie wow... that glasshouse sounds amazing.. do you have a photo?
Betty Falls Those were the days today there would be another house where that vegetable was maybe even two houses
Dorothy Wills Betty Falls true
David Owen Fittock Had to have a veg garden cuz veg supply was poor
Elle Lynk but be low demand as people grew them? and like biscuits/cakes etc. Many families had hens for eggs.
(and to eat). Most clothes were homemade too. Bought ones were probably expensive.
you made your own.
Lyn Whittle Still the norm in our house
Wayne Leckie Still have a wee veggie garden.can not beat the flavour of your own veggies
Heather Newby true. Tastes different and of course.. they are organic.
Wayne Nicholson Fortunately Granddad Joe gave me the interest in growing for the table and there is plenty of room on the Dunnolie section to carry on the tradition when we move over. Silverbeet, spinach. toms and herbs are grown year round here in ChCh. Good glasshouse helps.
Lynnette Beirne Wayne Nicholson I only had a small vege garden this last season but got great crops from my beans , tomatoes and courgettes
Wayne Nicholson Lynnette Beirne . We love it. Good therapy for the brain .
Kath Merv Moreton Wayne Nicholson I remember your grandad's garden Wayne and your grandma aunty Edna was a great cook.
Wayne Nicholson Kath Merv Moreton. I just loved my time spent there, so special. Breaks my heart to see the old place now.
Geoff Hale Wayne Nicholson Your grandad Joe had a good garden. Remember it well. I think he also had some ( “ liquid vegetables “ ) hidden in the garden from memory!
Margaret Newton Alley My Dad had the biggest veg garden, remember shelling peas on Christmas day, my Mum digging parsnips and carrots during the winter. Veg now days just don't taste the same.
Heather Newby i remember shelling peas.. so yummy
Bob Homewood Great idea ,we need to get back to teaching the basics of this in schools ,it would save a lot of people a little bit and contribute to making them self sufficient we do it
Wayne Nicholson So true Bob. $10.00 of silver beet plants gives us months of greens and we grow spuds, beetroot etc for next to nothing.
Lynnette Beirne Bob Homewood I am actually on a committee here on the Coast involved with increasing skills and getting people back to growing their own and relearning the skills of cooking from scratch again
I was blessed to have had a mother and Nana there were both amazing cooks and gardeners that taught me my skills in those fields
Bob Homewood Yes cooking ,sewing ,basic wood and metal work all need to taught at primary school level again
Roger Strong I taught horticulture in the later part of my teaching career and one of the fist things I ask former pupils is if they have a vege garden- most of them do and get a great deal of pleasure from it.
Heather Newby yes.. and silver beet and spinach and parsley etc.. takes nothing to grow.. easy
Lynnette Beirne Bob Homewood we are getting a lot of fruit trees planted too
I love growing my own fruit
Heather Newby Lynnette Beirne same.. i have a small orchard and i planted a mulberry tree about 5 years ago
Heather Newby Wayne Nicholson exactly.. cost effective
Jo Wakefield Bob Homewood Years 7&8 (Form 1&2) have a two year programme called Technology which is the teaching of cooking, sewing, metalwork and woodwork for both girls and boys. Many schools today have their own vegetable and fruit gardens as part of the Enviroschools programme.
Elle Lynk Fantastic. its just been lost in the past 30 years. There has to be a work ethic too.
Joy Meyer My dad had a great garden. We lived on a dairy farm and he would use the cow poop in the garden. Also when he killed a sheep or bull the guts would be buried in his garden. He always had a green thumb like his mother did..unlike me hahah. That's when we knew dad wasn't well cos he had lots of weeds coming up in his garden and he couldn't get on top of them. RIP dad. Love you
Heather Newby wow... that would be good.. having cow poo for your garden.. do you have a photo of your garden?
Joy Meyer Heather Newby no sorry.. That was over 40 years ago when we lived on the farm out Kokatahi. West Coast South Island
Heather Newby I made a "lasagne Garden"... i have two patches now..https://youtu.be/1-KF1JLFTIY
Heather Gaulter Definitely the norm..we ate what we grew back then, mum had a huge vege garden .. we had to weed and help look after, no garden no food ..we eat what we grow now, back to basics I say, too many choices today.. learn to grow there’s no better feeling
Elle Lynk And seasonal eating which is healthier and provides variety. .We were always under threat..dont eat the peas...or the gooseberries!
Digging huge parsnips out was soooo difficult!!
Helen Willis The old half acre sections have gone too
Wayne Nicholson Bought one in Dunollie. Plenty of room for the garden and Toy Shed !
Lynnette Beirne Wayne Nicholson we will need to start a local garden competition once you move over to live
Karen Potter Just like dad's. Pity more people didn't garden today.
Bruce Edwards Remember Freddie Wong at Okura fruit and vegie man
Debbie Smith I still garden but its knowledge we haven't passed down very well.
Heather Newby the advent of supermarkets was when it started declining.
Helen Cropper My Dad had a great veggie garden . Was his pride and joy.
Mary Costello Yep My Dad Always Had A Great Vege Garden...Used To Feed The Whole Neighbourhood
Denis-Pat Pilkington We ate well and I honestly dont think there was an obesity problem back then! No Maccas KFC or Burger king, just fish and chips as a treat on Friday night!
Sheryl Elizabeth Paki Mum and dad always had a vegie gatden so when I got married we had one too I live on my own now and retired but still have a vegie gardenPauline Walsh
Pauline Walsh I always hv a small vegie patch lv fresh silverbeet can't beet it
Annemarie Harris We had a huge vege garden and so did Nana and Grandad. We always went to Tauranga Bay to collect seaweed for the compost. Grandad would always get some silolage as well for his sandy soil.
Lyn Gosling We always have a really big vege garden. My husband loves his garden and loves to give away food when he sees a need, and takes it to our church where others can take it and share it around. It helped us lots when we had a family of 7, especially when It helped us lots when we had a family of 7, especially when the 7 of us were living on one student allowance when he re-trained. He makes pickles and that gets given out all over the place. and during Lockdown, of course we had lots of vges to survive on.
Jean Mehrtens My dad was very permaculture in some ways - get the horse to come and trim the lawn and leave the fertiliser ...
Marie Grgic Barneys garden is petty good now, don t know when hes with Emma,
Dianne Warrender My Dad had a fabulous garden in Reefton Remember holding sacks open so he could put the cow pats in out on different farms
Margaret Harrington My grandfather had a huge garden and he put horse manure in it also quite a bit of whitebait went in there
As there were no freezers then
Sue Dando I remember shoveling the cow dung into the wheelbarrow from the home paddock for the garden as a child.
Arthur Bass What about the bag of cowpats hanging in a 44 gallon drum used to feed the garden as well.
Heather Newby yes.. great stuff!
Peter Rosanowski I wasn't too popular with Dad when I tried to turn his potato patch into a long-jumping pit. He was an excellent gardener and his silver beet and rhubarb won many awards at the local A and P Show. Grandad Ladner, just a few doors away, was equally proficient.
Heather Newby i just love rhubarb!
Valerie Beavis My dad Harry Clark had a huge veggie garden in Reefton and we all help him as we got older to plant the potatoes, he kept us well feed, with the chooks and all as well he looked after us very well.
Catherine Brian Denton Valerie Beavis xCatherine's dad did as well....always had some to give away..so did Frank Hudson who lived by the road bridge going south out of Reefton
M
Greg Mait yeah there were 11 in our family and there was no back lawn it was all good organic vegetables. all the kids weeding early Saturday morning before being allowed out to play and cause trouble. lol. Great stuff
Glenn Johnston Greg Mait I remember your dad out in the garden with a transistor radio listening to the race meetings as he worked away on a Saturday afternoon.
Greg Mait Glenn Johnston Yeah for sure . He never gave us any tips on the horses though . I think Bags was the only one to take it up.
Marilyn Paterson My dad had a huge one too it was what you did then.
June Williams Marilyn Paterson my dad had a great vege garden as well.
Deborah Taylor My dad had a whole section next door to us, it was halved lengthwise with fruit trees on one side and vegetable on the other.
Kevin Bell Dad had a huge garden and we didnt need the Vege shop all year.
Angela Bell Kevin Bell I can remember the vege garden we had in Tapanui
Charil Milne True we always had lots vegetables growing up . Nothing beat pulling carrots or stealing peas to eat before you got caught by mum
Ann Christie Find it hard to believe that people dont grow some veggies
Saves money and taste greatBill Liddell My grandfather lived with us and had a magnificent vege garden that feed at least 4 families Anne your Dad always had a very good garden and magnificent fruit trees with lots of different fruits grafted to a main tree
Irene Cook yip my dad had a great vege garden.
Simon Judy Acarapi Wonderful photos and stories, thanks so much for sharing. Our parents had a great garden also. Fostered my interest to this day. Last week I took my 91yr old mother out to a local friend's farmm to pivk up bags of pony poo for our veg. garden. Our pony Bubbles and Camp would occasionally get into the veg garden in Karoro in the1960s and pull out the carrots and chew cabbages. Judy Acarapi (nee Dallas) Love to all during this very silly time.
Roger Howell Yes each house had its own vegetable garden!
Karen Potter
People should have a veg garden. Far cheaper than shop bought veg
Lorraine O'Donoghue
Karen Potter plus you know what sprays and chemicals etc have been used on your vegies.
Denise Eckersley
Karen Potter and taste better
Alan Sheehan
Heading back to that is happening more now.
John Bennett
Still got one not very big but still have it
Ann Christie
Have one and think we will be heading back that way Maybe not as big and for all but even a small garden saves you money.
Lorraine O'Donoghue
Ann Christie and you will be eating fresh! Nothing nicer!
Tom Jones
Never said we were bored as kids, otherwise pulling weeds in the garden, actually got to learn life skills, always outside if not raining back then, weren't allowed to sit around all day doing nothing inside
Kay Bruce
I had a mother who would dispute that.
Linda Gascoigne
The qtr acre section with the vegetable garden right down the back so the lawn was left for play. Remember it so well.
Used to sit in the vege garden and eat beans peas tomato baby carrots.
John Paget
Still do
Hayzle Mann-Hughes
And. 1960s & 1970s and today
Michael Welsh
Still have one
Linda Sting
Yes my father always had a huge vege garden. He and that was sooo good
Patricia Herd
And we didn’t have freezers in those days but plenty of bottling was done. Funnily enough I planted out 6 lettuce this morning.
Anne Conaghan
It is such a pleasure to eat veges from our garden ..so many people are gardening again..one of the few ways we can save on the grocery bill.Good one Jim xxx
Justine Warren Pearce
Sometimes mum would forget to wash the cabbage, it was ok if you found a whole bug but not so good if only found a half of one. The vegies tasted so much better back then.
Tex Everett
My dad was a great gardener. We always had lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Mum made jams and preserves for the off season. Good fresh home grown picked ripe and not green like most fruits today.
Stacey Mather - Clouston
Mum always had a vege garden and I would get to grow carrots and radishes.... I don't like radishes
Now I grow all sorts of fruit and veg, sheep and eggs myself
Cheryl Townsend
They were great days vegetables were so good out of the garden
Bronwen Skates
Parents in 50s and 5 children so we grew up with vege gardens , fruit trees and nearly everyone had chooks. No going to Supermarkets more than once , Mum would have a fortnightly grocery order delivered by boy on bike . Fresh bread was everyday collected from Bakery early morning by one of us kids in a flour sack . Healthy way of living as no plastic anywhere.
Anita Lorraine Barltrop
And the greengrocers
Kevin Gwatkin
Still have a good size vege garden, always planted out with lots of Veggies
David Meech
Tomatoes are pretty easy to grow. Ridiculous when you see them selling at $15 a kilo in the supermarkets.
Deb Smith
1/4 or 1/2 acre of vege garden my grandfather tended at their home and fed family and friends.
Deborah Sweetman
Nd chickens.
Paul Rennie
And with the state of the land up north island. We will need to grow our own veges for a few years now as the farmers can't get seeds planted due to wet soil.
Hemi Mason
Yes we did mum an dad wow
Colin McKinney
Why isn’t everyone still doing it? Instead of heading to food banks.
Kevin Bell
Still following in my father's footsteps.
Rob Lunn
My father always had a big garden and what we didn’t use he gave away to friends and neighbours in Dobson he was a pretty straight up sort of guy and always maintained that his garden was at its best when we still had the tin can toilet and my brother and I were on the possums it was all dug routinely into the garden the Veges flourished and nobody ever got sick
Kay Bruce
I had a mother who would dispute that.
Linda Gascoigne
The qtr acre section with the vegetable garden right down the back so the lawn was left for play. Remember it so well.
Used to sit in the vege garden and eat beans peas tomato baby carrots.
John Paget
Still do
Hayzle Mann-Hughes
And. 1960s & 1970s and today
Michael Welsh
Still have one
Linda Sting
Yes my father always had a huge vege garden. He and that was sooo good
Patricia Herd
And we didn’t have freezers in those days but plenty of bottling was done. Funnily enough I planted out 6 lettuce this morning.
Anne Conaghan
It is such a pleasure to eat veges from our garden ..so many people are gardening again..one of the few ways we can save on the grocery bill.Good one Jim
Justine Warren Pearce
Sometimes mum would forget to wash the cabbage, it was ok if you found a whole bug but not so good if only found a half of one. The vegies tasted so much better back then.
Tex Everett
My dad was a great gardener. We always had lots of fresh fruits and vegetables in season. Mum made jams and preserves for the off season. Good fresh home grown picked ripe and not green like most fruits today.
Heather Newby
Tex Everett i just picked some tree ripened peaches off my tree,,. so much nicer than shop bought
Reply1m
Stacey Mather - Clouston
Mum always had a vege garden and I would get to grow carrots and radishes.... I don't like radishes
Now I grow all sorts of fruit and veg, sheep and eggs myself
Cheryl Townsend
They were great days vegetables were so good out of the garden
Bronwen Skates
Parents in 50s and 5 children so we grew up with vege gardens , fruit trees and nearly everyone had chooks. No going to Supermarkets more than once , Mum would have a fortnightly grocery order delivered by boy on bike . Fresh bread was everyday collected from Bakery early morning by one of us kids in a flour sack . Healthy way of living as no plastic anywhere.
Anita Lorraine Barltrop
And the greengrocers
Kevin Gwatkin
Still have a good size vege garden, always planted out with lots of Veggies
Heather Newby
Kevin Gwatkin good on you.. what do you grow
David Meech
Tomatoes are pretty easy to grow. Ridiculous when you see them selling at $15 a kilo in the supermarkets.
Heather Newby
David Meech i just picked a few from my garden
David Meech
Me too.
Deb Smith
1/4 or 1/2 acre of vege garden my grandfather tended at their home and fed family and friends.
Heather Newby
Deb Smith lots of cabbages and leeks,onions and potatoes i bet
Deborah Sweetman
Nd chickens.
Paul Rennie
And with the state of the land up north island. We will need to grow our own veges for a few years now as the farmers can't get seeds planted due to wet soil.
Hemi Mason
Yes we did mum an dad wow
Colin McKinney
Why isn’t everyone still doing it? Instead of heading to food banks.
Reply42m
Kevin Bell
Still following in my father's footsteps.
Catherine Carey
Kevin Bell should hope so but not some of stuff he put in the garden I hope when Mr Mehrtens didnt call
Kevin Bell
Didn't do us any harm.Plenty of it coming out of the Beehive now.
Catherine Carey
you're right there made veges grow
Rob Lunn
My father always had a big garden and what we didn’t use he gave away to friends and neighbours in Dobson he was a pretty straight up sort of guy and always maintained that his garden was at its best when we still had the tin can toilet and my brother and I were on the possums it was all dug routinely into the garden the Veges flourished and nobody ever got sick
Anna Wright
True that. Mostly the basics but plenty of it.
Christine Peacock
We never went hungry!! We ate everything!! You certainly didn’t complain.. we were healthy and happy
Bob Adele Johnston
i also had a garden and loved bottling jams pickled onions with honey makes my mouth water just thinking about them chuttney , and beetroot lots of things
Bob Naylor
Recently visited my Great Uncle, Collin Mutch, in West port. He’s been tending the same garden for at least 30 years, absolutely first class everythin
Linda Hughes
Dead right! My dad's beans were prolific and very tasty.
Colin Harman
Still have and get a lot of enjoyment and produce from it
Jeanette Hall
More of this needs to be taughtKerry Keating
My father kept a fantastic vege garden when we were kids. He also had a good sized fowl yard as well.
Vern Pattinson
Kerry Keating dad did as we'll Kerry
Rob Absalom
Kerry Keating same
Kerry Keating
That was the thing back then. Supermarkets hadn't started then, so the cost was too much. I can see it going back to those days.
Christine Hogg
There was no buying a chook at the shop either, you either had to keep your own or hope there was a friendly neighbour who'd let you have one. Chook was a special meal.
Bronwen Skates
Kerry Keating same with my parents. Chooks , vege gardens and a lot of fruit trees.
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer
I’m still big on the vege garden, my father instilled in me a slightly green thumb, busy bottling and pickling and freezing of late. There’s Nowt so fine as eating home grown vegetables and fruits. The taste is like an explosion in your mouth. And it’s good for your mental health, getting your fingers in the soil..
Kate Adams
Rebekah Fairhurst Geer Brendon grew the best vege garden in Hokitika loved all those fresh veggies straight from the garden
Des O'Connell
Everyone should go back to growing there own vegetables
Pat Dooley
Des O'Connell Remember in the 1950s when we all had gardens we had 1/4 acrea sections
Annie O'Connell
Des O'Connell I have saved the latest yellow capsicums for you to pick on Friday.xx
Lynnette Beirne
This is a photo of me in our family vege garden over 60 years ago in Hokitika
Jeanine Bishop
Yes my mum grew an amazing garden
Paul Robin
Jeanine Bishop say Hi to Dave for me Jeanine!
Jeanine Bishop
Paul Robin David said hi back
Carolyn Luck
My Dad had a wonderful vegetable garden in Greymouth.
When my parents retired to Christchurch, he had a great vegetable garden also.
Someone said to him it must be much easier gardening here in Christchurch than in Greymouth.
My Dad replied not at all, Christchurch weather is much tougher for a gardener than Greymouth!!
Barbara Macilquham
My parents had a huge vege garden,fruit trees,summer berries and feijoas.they made jams,bottled fruit and froze veges.plus home made ginger beer with the occasional bang!!Mum also knitted and sewed.good times!!
Jock Allen
We did as well remember going into the paddock next door to get manure for the gardenDon"t think that kids today would do that
Sandra Douglas
Jock Allen we used stand in cow shit to keep our feet warm on cold morning dad told me I'd grow taller..
Jennie McKinnon
We had an amazing vege plot in Dunollie when we were growing up.Roses at the end to bring the bees,gooseberries, blackcurrants.you name it my dad would grow them.
John Webster
Jennie McKinnon your dad would have learnt it all from his dad, best garden in the area
Karen Peters
Dad had an amazing garden in Kumara.
Murray Williams
now they are to lazy to even mow the lawn
Carol Lamb
I remember buying the Yates seeds from Cobden Primary School (1960's) and helping Dad with the veggie garden.
John Webster
Carol Lamb now a days those Yates seeds are genetically modified so you can only use them once unlike years ago where you grew a pumpkin and used the seeds from them to grow others or any other veg, sad world and getting sadder
Graeme Peters
We're heading back to those days really fast ,,but the fools can't see it
Anne Bruce
I now have a very small yard. Almost every bit of soil is dedicated to food profuction. Plus 4 bins with more soil and vegies. Potatoes were grown in bags. No room for fruit trees tho.
Bronwen Skates
We've always had a vege garden and when our family were growing up had chooks as well. Now in our 70s and we have tunnel house and smaller vege plots plus 2 fruit trees all on a small section .
Dennis Thompson
I remember those days!
Lynnette Beirne
We haven’t got as much as we had earlier in the season but having fresh veges grown at home is the best
Neroli Johnson
Always have
Sandra Douglas
Back in those days they only had snails...now we got all diseases under sun..i got Whitefly last year..& its mongrel to kill..only thing works is Coldwater surf frothed up in cold water...tried nature's way ..may as well drink it myself.
Catherine Carey
still grow mine must be the Bell gene
John Webster
Catherine Carey the coaster gene, i am north of Auckland now and have a great garden that I share with others
Sue Christie
Still are
John Webster
Sue Christie best thing is a fresh garden, no preservatives and hormones, that's why us coasters live longer
Kevin Bell
Still do.
Patricia Stephens
Mum and Dad had massive vegetable gardern. Had vest strawberry patch, grew raspberries, gooseberries and heaps vegetables.
Joy Meyer
Dad always had a great vege garden. We lived on a dairy farm so he used the cow poo for fertiliser . Always had lovely veges. Wish I had his green thumb.
Johannes Debreuk
I remember those days!
Brian Kelly
Dad spent all his spare time in the garden. Just had to compete with the possums.
Liz Tobin
We where alot healthier then...
Phil Bargh
Reminds me of my dad in 70s/80s now I’m doing it also
Pauline Schafer
Dad had a really good vege and flower garden.
Joe Kelly
The number of Saturday mornings I spent working in the garden
Christine Stewart
My grandparents had an amazing garden including fruit trees.
My parents had a garden also … feed us and the neighbours at times .
Since being back in New Zealand my son and I have been growing veg in our wee garden for last 2 years .. going well this year as well
Sheri Lee
Still the sensible way but requires a bit of effort
Katharine McCoy
How many Farther's/Husband's do the growing now?
John Webster
Katharine McCoy me, always had a garden
Pauline Weeks
You do a great job Lynnette. Always beautiful fresh vegetables. Your Dad would be proud of you.
Marion Robina Hogarth
Always had a great vegetable garden when we were growing, and I still have one now. Why not grow your own veges ?
Margaret McBride
he had a great garden .
Karen Drummond
Its such a shame that folk just don't have the time to have and look after a vegetable garden. We always had one when we were growing up, fresh vegetables, we had chickens so heaps of fresh eggs, but no fruit trees !! Only a grapevine.
Michelle-David Thomas
C May L'Huillier yes sure did. And they could grow just about everything they needed.
Bruce Whitfield
So so true.
Tessa Daisy
Fabulous garden
Tony Hall
And an air raid shelter
Dianne Johnson
We would have gone hungry without it. Lots of chooks provided meat and eggs, hunter gatherer provided venison and fish, especially whitebait in season - talented baker mother baked the daily bread, whatever else could you want. We were never hungry.
Joe Kelly
It helped having wages high enough that one person in work could buy a house and support a family. It also helped having quarter acre sections. Those things are long gone.
Lyn Whittle
Still do
Fay Gilson
We still grow our own garden but no spuds this year
Judy Crestani
I am assuming that gardens were needed also incase of striking
Wendy James
I remember my Grandad royce an Nana Dulice Williams having amazing big veggie garden in hokitika.
Cheryl Hedley
What vegetable does the west coast grow the best of?
Anne Honey
And we were given seeds by the school and we learnt to garden.
Pat Dooley
Things were so different back then. Most homes could afford to have mum at home 24/7. With shops only trading 5 days a week most families had Saturday for sports and Sunday at home. Wool and meat prices were high so NZ was having good times. Funny how much better life was when we are looking backwards
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West Coast New Zealand History (19th Jan 2025). Everyone had a vegetable garden back in the 1950`s.. In Website West Coast New Zealand History. Retrieved 11th Apr 2026 00:13, from https://westcoast.recollect.co.nz/nodes/view/1664