Customers can lose themselves among the native plantings at Tree Guys Nursery in Ōtāne. Photo / Rachel Wise
Customers can lose themselves among the native plantings at Tree Guys Nursery in Ōtāne. Photo / Rachel Wise
A little over 30 years ago, a seven-acre block was sold just off the main highway in the small township of Ōtāne.
The block had a house and three bare paddocks.
Today you can barely see the house and you certainly can’t see the paddocks. They’ve been engulfed by myriad native trees from seedlings to stately specimens.
It’s the realm of Tree Guys Nursery.
From the discreet signage to the tree-lined driveway, nothing quite prepares you for five acres of trees, grow-houses and a native forest bisected by a trickling stream and an eel pond ... with the occasional tuk-tuk puttering past.
The couple moved to Ōtāne from Hastings after selling a home that Kathy had landscaped with native trees and plants grown by Jack. What they did to the Hastings property increased its value to the extent they decided to do it again, this time in a place where they could buy a big house and land for the price of their two-bedroom Hastings home.
Native trees and plants, in recycled planter bags and pots, sit sheltered alongside the nursery’s stand of native forest.
Jack had grown the Hastings trees and plants from seeds he collected. In Ōtāne, the plan was to do it again but on a bigger scale.
The first year’s crop of native trees numbered 2000. The couple advertised the excess and sold them all.
Now they grow 200,000 a year.
“We had to keep on growing more – people wanted them and we were selling out. We opened the nursery in 1994 – 30 years ago – with a parking area for six cars. We thought that was all we’d need. That was quickly extended to allow for trucks and trailers and a large turnaround area.”
Jack Ritchie in the new, solar-powered grow house with two of the electric tuk-tuks, which have replaced the “noisy smelly quad bikes”.
When they began the nursery, Jack had no background in horticulture.
“I just picked it up. Either you have green fingers or you don’t. The best thing about growing natives was that I could collect the seed in the bush, see where the tree was living and how it grew. I learnt from being in the bush and from many happy accidents when growing the plants.
“When it came to growing cuttings, I read up about it and worked with a friend with a university degree who taught me. We’re hands-on. We grow the seed and grow the plants on, we didn’t buy them in.
“Years of experience means if you come from Wanstead to buy trees from me, I know your soils. If you’re from Patangata ... I know your soils. I will sell you the right tree for the right place, I won’t sell you a tree that’s not going to grow.
“It takes a long time to get local knowledge like that. I teach people how to grow their purchases and I give advice.
Jack Ritchie specialises in riparian plantings as well as growing natives from seed and cuttings.
“We have third-generation gardeners coming to buy from us now. Kids that came and fed the eels in our pond are now coming back and bringing their kids.”
The stream that feeds the eel pond flows through a patch of native forest, the centrepiece of Tree Guys Nursery.
“We grew the forest to collect seed and to show people what the trees looked like and how they grew.”
There are memorial trees in the forest: a rimu planted to commemorate the turn of the century and a miro planted in memory of Sir Paul Holmes, a good client whose company Kathy and Jack enjoyed. There’s a mountain beech planted for Sir Edmund Hillary, a matai for Sir Peter Blake and a kahikatea forest for the Pike River miners; there’s another rimu planted nearly 24 years ago in memory of a good friend, which is standing tall and looking over the garden.
Kathy Ritchie is a skilled urban landscaper.
There are more forests: in 2000, Tree Guys took on their first two-acre wetland. Then they took on a seven-year job of planting up a 25-acre block.
“You can see it on Google Maps now,” says Jack. For 10 years they have been planting an area each year for a private farming company.
“Lots of customers add more each year. It’s a joy to go back and see these jobs progressing.”
While Jack handles the riparian plantings, Kathy is the urban landscaper, working on gardens, industrial and commercial properties, daycare centres and schools throughout Hawke’s Bay.
“I’m working on a lot of new builds and lifestyle blocks,” she says. “I work with many schools. I like working with children, they are like little sponges soaking up all the knowledge. Then they grow up and come into the shop and buy trees – that’s rewarding!”
Grandchildren Clover and Maddie help Pop with propagation at Tree Guys Nursery in Ōtāne.
There is a big focus on sustainability at the nursery. All planter bags are recycled and they have recently bought four electric tuk-tuks to transport plants around the site.
The newest grow-house is totally run on solar power.
The nursery employs seven staff – Nik in propagation, Janice and Deb in production, Andy on customers, watering, pest control and general nursery, Nick and Keith in general nursery and maintenance, and Mrs Murphy is the office administrator.
“We’ve been successful in marketing some of these in all corners of the world – USA, UK, Portugal, France and Holland.
Eldest granddaughter Clover has a hybrid - Corokia Clover - named after her.
“Our Pittosporum Irish Luck and Corokia Clover have been the most sought-after and in great demand and, with the help from Kiwi Flora, our agents who represent the hybrids, we have been very successful in achieving good sales overseas.
Pittosporum Irish Luck, a hybrid developed by Tree Guys Nursery.
“We joined IPPS [International Plant Propagators Society] in 2018 and accepted an invitation to tour the east coast of America with people from all over the world, visiting nurseries, gardens, universities and laboratories. The knowledge that was shared was valuable and the short time we spent with like-minded people is an experience that will stay with us forever.”
Jack says discovering new hybrids is the most exciting part of the job.
“But the hardest part is choosing names for them,” Kathy says.
