An Auckland couple has made a tree change and bought the Whangārei retail, wholesale and landscape gardening business Alter-Natives Nursery and Landscaping.
A week after taking over the business from its founder Ian Fox, Phil Grindle said that although he'd moved into the business in body, his mind has yet to catch up.
Nor had his family caught up when we spoke - they plan to follow him north from Auckland soon. Coming to their new town could seem like something of a homecoming, as Grindle's own parents and his brother already live in Whangārei.
He joked that he was ''pretty green at gardening'' having come from a film and television background, although ''my wife and I are mad keen Kiwis who love the great outdoors, and we've done our own home DIY forever.''
The self-proclaimed hobby gardener said he was confident the knowledgeable staff and the previous owners' well-set-up systems would help ease the transition. There are 13 people employed there.