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Growing food from kitchen scraps

Growing food from kitchen scraps

by Kat | Apr 12, 2026 | Grow, Pandemic Gardening, Spring—Kōanga, Summer—Raumati

You don’t need to buy seeds to start growing food. Your weekly grocery shop is full of ways to get your garden pumping.

Māra kūmara

Māra kūmara

by Kat | Nov 23, 2025 | Blog, Grow, Spring—Kōanga, Summer—Raumati

This year I’ve re-introduced kūmara into my garden.

Growing peanuts in New Zealand

Growing peanuts in New Zealand

by Kat | Aug 31, 2025 | Grow, Spring—Kōanga, Summer—Raumati

What I’ve learned about growing peanuts over the last three seasons.

Growing paprika

Growing paprika

by Kat | Mar 23, 2025 | Blog, Summer—Raumati

Paprika is made from specific varieties of capsicum, and this summer, I grew and processed my own.

5 tips for tidying up your bananas

5 tips for tidying up your bananas

by Kat | Dec 15, 2024 | Grow, Summer—Raumati, Tend

Just a few things I’ve learned about maintaining a productive banana patch.

Banana farmin

Banana farmin

by Kat | Sep 24, 2023 | Blog, Summer—Raumati

We are officially eating our own home-grown bananas!!

How to make your own pruning paste

How to make your own pruning paste

by Kat | Jul 2, 2023 | Autumn—Ngahuru, Grow, Spring—Kōanga, Summer—Raumati, Winter—Hōtoke

Pruning paste is helpful for keeping your fruit trees healthy after pruning.

Testing the coffee beans

Testing the coffee beans

by Kat | Feb 26, 2023 | Blog, Grow, Summer—Raumati

After a recent workshop to learn how to process my own coffee, I put my own coffee beans to the test.

Vegetables that pay off

Vegetables that pay off

by Kat | Oct 23, 2022 | Autumn—Ngahuru, Grow, Spring—Kōanga, Summer—Raumati

All things considered, what vegetables deliver the best returns on investment in the garden?

Harvesting and storing potatoes

Harvesting and storing potatoes

by Kat | Apr 10, 2022 | Autumn—Ngahuru, Grow, Summer—Raumati, Top posts

We eat a lot of potatoes, so we grow a lot of potatoes. Here’s how we harvest and store them to feed us through winter.

It’shallot of shallots

It’shallot of shallots

by Kat | Jan 23, 2022 | Grow, Summer—Raumati, Winter—Hōtoke

Shallots are one of the easiest things I grow in my garden, with an excellent rate of return.

Planting potatoes

Planting potatoes

by Kat | Sep 19, 2021 | Grow, Spring—Kōanga, Summer—Raumati, Top posts

Potatoes can be planted as soon as the last frosts pass. Find out what to do now to great crop next season!

Square foot gardening

Square foot gardening

by Kat | Aug 8, 2021 | Grow, Spring—Kōanga, Summer—Raumati, Top posts

Low rainfall in summer each year means my garden always suffers. This year, I’m planning to share our water with one bed that really pumps… and grows everything.

How to grow ginger (Zingibar officiale)

How to grow ginger (Zingibar officiale)

by Kat | Aug 1, 2021 | Grow, Spring—Kōanga, Summer—Raumati

A surprisingly simple and satisfying little crop to grow. Find out how to take a small piece from the supermarket and turn it into a year’s supply of ginger!

Planting leeks

Planting leeks

by Kat | Feb 14, 2021 | Autumn—Ngahuru, Grow, Summer—Raumati

It’s time to plant leeks! There’s a bit of a trick to harvesting a good leek, so I thought I’d take a moment to show you how.

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About Kat

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Kat is a gardener and purrveyor of Kat's Nip. Most Sundays she writes about her life on her lifestyle block in Te Hiku (Far North), New Zealand.

Latest posts

  • Pruning fruit trees
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  • Surprise cows
  • My mother’s mother’s mothers
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