Clean green living at Lara Lodge
At Lara Lodge we aim to provide green leafed herbs and vegetables straight from our very own organic kitchen garden. We produce our own herb teas and medicinal remedies too! We operate on a 0% waste policy in the commercial kitchen and have reduced commercial waste by 55%.
In our garden you will find worm farms and composting methods such as Bokashi, where all living waste material is shredded and then used to provide nutrients for our organic garden.
By the end of this year, we aim to have minimised the use of chemicals and to be the first commercial business and building with zero footprint!
Our staff are so excited about this aim and vision that they are actively participating and learning by taking some of these principles home to their own families. Our direct neighbours are joining in and assisting also and we are actively exchanging ideas on how our small group can make a big difference.
We have won Auckland Council garden competitions and aim to be an exemplary Dynamic Backyard. Check out the Dynamic Backyard facebook page for our garden's past achievements.
Every day our residents benefit from and taste the difference of our fresh garden produce.
Poll: Should all neighbours have to contribute to improvements?
An Auckland court has ruled a woman doesn’t have to contribute towards the cost of fixing a driveway she shares with 10 neighbours.
When thinking about fences, driveways or tree felling, for example, do you think all neighbours should have to pay if the improvements directly benefit them?
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82.3% Yes
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15% No
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2.7% Other - I'll share below
What's your favourite recipe for courgettes?
Kia ora neighbours. If you've got a family recipe for courgettes, we'd love to see it and maybe publish it in our magazine. Send your recipe to mailbox@nzgardener.co.nz, and if we use it in the mag, you will receive a free copy of our January 2025 issue.
Live Q&A: Garden maintenance with Crewcut
This Wednesday, we are having another Neighbourly Q&A session. This time with John Bracewell from Crewcut.
John Bracewell, former Black Caps coach turned Franchisee Development Manager and currently the face of Crewcut’s #Movember campaign, knows a thing or two about keeping the grass looking sharp—whether it’s on a cricket pitch or in your backyard!
As a seasoned Crewcut franchisee, John is excited to answer your lawn and gardening questions. After years of perfecting the greens on the field, he's ready to share tips on how to knock your garden out of the park. Let's just say he’s as passionate about lush lawns as he is about a good game of cricket!
John is happy to answer questions about lawn mowing, tree/hedge trimming, tidying your garden, ride on mowing, you name it! He'll be online on Wednesday, 27th of November to answer them all.
Share your question below now ⬇️