68 | Native plants with proven local origins Maree and James Holloway. Kim Bowden Just out of Gore, Pukerau Nursery produces a quarter of a million plants a year, with a focus on farms and rural properties across Southland and Otago. The family-run business is led by Maree and James Holloway and a small, tight-knit team. At the heart of the business is a simple promise to their customers that the plants they take home will not just survive, but thrive, in some of the country’s toughest growing conditions. As Maree puts it: “Ultimately, we’re always looking for the best plants for the right place”. Key to that is eco-sourcing, a concept Maree came across 30 years ago while working in the nursery team at Victoria University, where local material was propagated for planting around campus. RURAL SERVICES » Pukerau Nursery “We were doing eco sourcing back then...and today, it underpins how the nursery operates,” she says. Maree and James collect seeds from farms and pockets of native vegetation across the region. “Some of it’s really easy - it’s on the roadside; some of it’s an hour slog up hill,” James says. Each collection is tagged, so its origin is tracked, then all the steps through the nursery and plants sold are matched as closely as possible to the conditions they’ll be grown in. “If a customer asks for, say, pittosporums. Our first response is ‘Where are you planting?’” Maree says. “That way we get pittosporums that have come from as close as possible to where they are being planted, and this gives the best chance of success.” Many customers first meet Maree and James at events like the Southern Field Days, before being invited out to the farm for planning plantings. James will walk the property, see what’s already growing, and factor in wind, frost and soil before recommending options. He helps plan shelterbelts, riparian planting along waterways, and revegetation of steep or marginal areas. When the couple bought the business in 2017, they stepped into a nursery with nearly four decades behind it. But with backgrounds in plant science, environmental management and agriculture, they brought both technical knowledge and practical experience to the mix. James keeps a close eye on the numbers. “We’re about 90 percent eco sourced natives,” he says. “Within that, you’re looking at probably around about 50 species…We produce about 250,000 plants a year.” Kieran Middleton, Partner p: 03 218 6179 e: kieran.middleton@mcp.co.nz w: www.mcp.co.nz Proud to support Pukerau Nursery At McCulloch & Partners, we are a local business run by local people. Whether you need support understanding ou ml0;uvķ _;Ѵr b|_ 1-v_Yoķ |- -7b1; -m7 rѴ-mmbm]ķ or a roadmap for success, our team is here to help. om|-1| v =ou - =u;v_ r;uvr;1ঞ; -m7 0vbm;vv ;r;uঞv;ĺ Within each species are different grades, from small tray-grown seedlings to more established plants. Trays are reused, cleaned and sterilised for the next cycle – good recycling of plastic - and only strong plants make it out the gate. They also contract-grow plants for larger projects, with some native species taking up to 18 months from seed to planting, allowing landowners and organisations to plan ahead for restoration, consent requirements, and long-term environmental work. The business ethos ensures rural landowners get more than just plants. They get local, eco-sourced options wherever possible, clear advice on what will cope with Southland and Otago’s conditions, and a plan that sets each planting up for long-term success.
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