Boston

Garden Centre Assistant

My earliest memory of gardening was digging up potatoes with my dad when I was about 8 years old.

Kings featured early on in my life, as my Mum would take me to the old Remuera Store where I’d spend the whole time playing in the small dingy boat that was at the cafe. I never would have thought this would become my place of employment.

This is my first full-time role since leaving school. And I love that every day is so different, especially with the changing seasons bringing their own unique qualities. Some days I’ll be driving to our nurseries to pick up plants for customers or other stores. Other days I’m planting trees at local schools within the community.

It’s amazing how much knowledge is acquired every day working in a garden centre. The best part is getting new plants delivered and learning as much as I can about them so that I can share my knowledge with our customers. And the large number of dogs I meet each day is an added bonus.

Debs

Garden Centre Assistant

I’ve been surrounded by gardens most of my life.

From growing up in the garden city, Christchurch, to developing my first home garden in Wellington many years ago, to enjoying the fruits of a sub-tropical Auckland garden.

While raising my family I was looking for a flexible part-time role, which led me to join a small garden maintenance crew. It was a great way to sharpen my knowledge of plants and to experience all sorts of different garden forms – especially for the Auckland region. When it was time to rejoin the workforce full-time, it felt like a perfect fit when I applied for the role at Kings. It’s been my go-to place for plants and garden supplies for a long time.

My current garden is a real labour of love. From a blank slate 12 years ago, it has developed into a treasure trove of maturing citrus, exquisite orchids, pops of colour in pots and a few rare plants hidden among the hedges.

I love the idea that every day in the garden can be so rewarding - a special bloom, a new shoot, a new season. And I love sharing this with the customers I meet each day.

Corey

Nursery Manager

I began growing using garden boxes for vegetables and flowers from the age of 5.

During high school, I started collecting native seeds and germinating them. It’s satisfying to take a seed and see it grow into something that will be around for years. This passion grew into a hand-built greenhouse and eventually led to selling the seeds and seedlings to Kerikeri locals.

I joined Kericell Nursery in Kerikeri after high school, working in the yard, then as a seeding operator for veggies and flowers, and by 2021 was their Production Manager. I spent a season in Nelson in 2021 with Waimea, one of the largest fruit tree growers in NZ.

And then in 2022 Kings offered me a new role managing one of their nurseries. It’s been a great opportunity to apply everything I already knew alongside learning more about new types of products, and some of the different challenges growing trees and shrubs.

It’s very rewarding helping customers with products they need for their home garden and also being able to introduce some newer options. Especially as the variety of what’s grown in our nurseries is huge.

My move to Auckland has meant a lifestyle adapted for smaller properties. I found a passion for using old pallets to make garden boxes for my little rental. I’m a big believer you can grow so much in a small space if you use the right fertilisers and pest control.

Sucheta

Plant Doctor

My journey with plants began with sowing a pomegranate seed in Ahmednagar, India, at 7 years old. Seeing it grow into a small tree was truly amazing for me and my classmates.

Growing up I was surrounded by vegetation and enjoyed learning about plants and identifying local flora. It’s a passion which led to me studying Plant Sciences and eventually a PhD in Plant Pathology.

After 30 years as a Research Scientist in India and NZ I’ve turned my focus onto gardening where my learning with plants continued since joining Kings 7 years ago.

For garden enthusiasts especially in metropolitan cities like Auckland, finding ample space to grow a variety of plants can be quite an exercise. I especially enjoy talking to customers about container gardening and building resilient gardens. Planting in containers is an easy and versatile way to fulfil our gardening desires. And as a plant pathologist, I also like helping customers solve any pest and disease-related problems in their gardens.

My favourite plants are the Jasminum varieties: arabicum, azoricum, officinale…their fragrant flowers take me back to my childhood.

My home garden is a clean slate at the moment - washed away by the floods and cyclone. It will soon be filled with plants…no doubt about it!

From our nurseries to our stores, at Kings we love helping our plants and our customers grow. Head instore today and meet our team of expert staff and knowledgeable Plant Doctors. Whether you’re a beginner or a gardening pro, our team are here to help you grow well.