KEY POINTS:
I'm barely out of the car at Herb Haven before I'm fondling potted herbs lined up on a long table by the car park. I've cooked with curry leaves before, but rarely witnessed them growing on the plant; normally they're pre-packed and far removed from the soil in which they grew.
"Actually," Herb Haven's owner Trish Budd later tells me, "the leaves are best used with rice and eggs, not in curries." Pretty good chopped into a kedgeree, then, I'd imagine.
Take note - a visit to Herb Haven is the odour equivalent of shopping for makeup: though instead of departing with rainbow-streaked hands, wondering which tube the sparkly lilac lipstick came from, your nose will be full of a mish-mash of scents you can't quite pin down.
I step inside the old house, which the garden surrounds and spy a bedroom through an open door. My immediate thought is that I've wandered into Trish's home. She appears to reassure me that I haven't; this house is part of the herbal experience. The bedroom is the Rose Room, for B&B guests, along with the Lavender and Lily Rooms. Windows open out to the garden and I can hear water trickling from the fountain, bees buzzing and birds singing.
Indoors, huge jugs of flowers sit on wooden dressers, ornate mirrors adorn walls and floral furnishings enhance windows and upholster comfy sofas. You get the feeling you could plump yourself down anywhere and Trish would be thrilled. I steal a glance behind the scenes into the adjoining kitchen and witness a hive of activity; deft fingers picking through fresh flowers and pots steaming on stoves - presumably making Trish's famous chutneys, jams and sauces.
Trish has always loved gardening. She originally started growing herbs and veges and making her own produce as a way of raising her children healthily. She set up the herb garden and gradually developed a range of products. One day a visitor from New York arrived, loved what she was doing and took some of her stuff back to the States. Next thing, her range was selling in famous deli Dean & Deluca, then later in David Jones in Australia.
Her garden is sited on an old nectarine orchard and is a crazy maze of leaves and flowers. Herbs are ordered into medicinal, culinary and fragrant: there's literally hundreds of them. Trish says most herbs like sunny places. They also like water and regular trimming.
Every month in the garden is different. Right now, the 10 varieties of basil seedlings are coming on nicely. The pineapple sage - looks like sage, smells like pineapple - is great in jellies, its flowers are lovely in salads. The society garlic (so named as it doesn't make your breath smell) is a big seller. Trish urges me to sample her garlic sauce, which boasts a multitude of uses from marinades to enriching stews. It's rich, tangy and savoury, the garlic element distinct yet mellow. It is so moreish, I triple-dip as Trish tends to two ladies' purchases in the living room. Upon her return I'm invited to take a seat at one of the many tables on the covered deck and tuck into her batch of still-warm homemade scones, each topped with jam and cream. Do allow a good hour for this part of the visit: it's all part of the herbal experience, along with the bright-green lemon verbena tea poured from teapots into bone china cups.
On a busy day, Trish expects up to 100 visitors, including many loyal Te Kauwhata locals. "Oh, the customers have been fabulous," she smiles. Her visitors' book is crammed with compliments from all nationalities including a German couple thanking her for the "very good feeling". I couldn't have said it better myself.
Herb Haven, 114 Plantation Road, Te Kauwhata ph: 07 826 3031 www.herbhaven.co.nz
- Detours, HoS
