About Mind Your Garden
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Hana Schmidt is the creator and owner of Mind Your Garden and her love of gardening together with her knowledge and expertise has evolved over many years.
From being in the first intake to accept women at Telford Farm Training Institute in Balclutha, Hana was a farm-cadet for several years, enjoying working outdoors on sheep and cattle farms with her team of dogs. Feeling the urge to travel and learn about her English roots, she embarked on a journey to the Isle of Wight to meet her Great Aunt Violet. It was there that she developed a love for flower gardening. While working behind the bar in a small English pub she gravitated outside where she created large hanging baskets full of petunias and cascading lobelia. She also established a garden maintenance service that employed attendees of a Social Services Day Centre. The Isle of Wight, known as “The Garden Isle” had been the perfect place to cultivate her knowledge of flowers and shrubs. Hana's six-year OE came to an end when she became interested in Occupational Therapy. Hana returned to Aotearoa, and after completing her degree, she worked in Hamilton as an OT between 2000 and 2012. From there she worked for the New Zealand Red Cross, coordinating teams of Refugee Support Volunteers for four years. Since April 2021, the seeds of Mind Your Garden began to grow. When asked what she loves about gardening, Hana replied; "Hearing the birds, being outside, connected to the weather and growing things". |
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In the past Hana has been fortunate to work with Tim Newton and Clare Jackson whose business specialises in sustainable garden design and the restoration of native ecosystems. Tim and Clare have generously shared their vast experience in gully restoration with her in a practical way, extending her knowledge and appreciation of New Zealand native plants.
Weed control;
Hana's personal gardening philosophy is to work with nature rather than against it. She has always been drawn to organic gardening and was involved with the Hamilton Permaculture trust when she first came to Kirikiriroa in 2000. Hana uses techniques borrowed from permaculture in gully restoration, but with a twist! Many invasive weeds can be transformed into mulch and soil by creating weed piles. No need for a compost bin or plastic covers, the piles are squashed down during a 2 minute warm up on a cool morning. In time this is used to mulch around new natives being planted, turning problem plants into something useful in the gully. Seed heads/bulbs or roots of some weeds may be disposed of separately but very little is removed from the gully. A great saving on green waste charges.
Hana takes a conservative approach to the use of herbicides. Many invasive trees and shrubs have established through out Hamilton's gullies, spreading from gardens or other gullies with help from birds. To prevent further spread and create space for the native species that originally were here, a method of drilling holes around the turns of larger trees and carefully filling the holes with a systemic herbicide kills the trees without any spray drift. Smaller trees/shrubs are painted with a ring of the same herbicide. Minimising the environmental impact of harmful chemicals is of top most importance.
Passionate about Gully's
Hana is passionate about Gully restoration having experienced first hand the joy of watching a diverse range of native flora and fauna flourish after invasive weeds are removed and a well thought out planting and maintenance plan is implemented. Facilitating, advising, supporting, teaching and inspiring others to treasure and care for our gully's has become a key focus for Hana and Mind Your Garden.
Weed control;
Hana's personal gardening philosophy is to work with nature rather than against it. She has always been drawn to organic gardening and was involved with the Hamilton Permaculture trust when she first came to Kirikiriroa in 2000. Hana uses techniques borrowed from permaculture in gully restoration, but with a twist! Many invasive weeds can be transformed into mulch and soil by creating weed piles. No need for a compost bin or plastic covers, the piles are squashed down during a 2 minute warm up on a cool morning. In time this is used to mulch around new natives being planted, turning problem plants into something useful in the gully. Seed heads/bulbs or roots of some weeds may be disposed of separately but very little is removed from the gully. A great saving on green waste charges.
Hana takes a conservative approach to the use of herbicides. Many invasive trees and shrubs have established through out Hamilton's gullies, spreading from gardens or other gullies with help from birds. To prevent further spread and create space for the native species that originally were here, a method of drilling holes around the turns of larger trees and carefully filling the holes with a systemic herbicide kills the trees without any spray drift. Smaller trees/shrubs are painted with a ring of the same herbicide. Minimising the environmental impact of harmful chemicals is of top most importance.
Passionate about Gully's
Hana is passionate about Gully restoration having experienced first hand the joy of watching a diverse range of native flora and fauna flourish after invasive weeds are removed and a well thought out planting and maintenance plan is implemented. Facilitating, advising, supporting, teaching and inspiring others to treasure and care for our gully's has become a key focus for Hana and Mind Your Garden.
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Contact Hana today for a free, no obligation chat to discuss your gardening and Gully needs.