Hi, I’m Kate. I live in North Canterbury, New Zealand, and I’m the slightly mud-splattered human behind The Manic Botanic. I’ve spent the last few years coaxing two acres of stubborn paddock into something that’s starting to resemble a garden.

You might have seen me on Instagram, where I show you the good, the bad, and the “what the heck happened there?” moments. I’m not here for glossy magazine-perfect shots that pretend gardening is all champagne and roses. I show you the weeds, the fails, the triumphs….and how you can do it too.

“There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments.”

Here on the website, you’ll find photos to spark ideas and prove that it’s possible to build a beautiful garden by learning as you go, keeping at it, and never quitting! And if you’re curious about the real behind-the-scenes stuff….the projects, the disasters, the occasional accidental wisdom…..you’ll want to wander into my members-only area, Behind the Garden Gate.

Gardening isn’t something you ever “finish” (trust me, I’ve tried). It’s a work-in-progress with as many surprises as weeds. So come hang out with a community of gardeners who like to keep it real….less perfection, more progress, plenty of dirt under the fingernails.

“Gardening is cheaper than therapy… and you get tomatoes.”

The free part of the site has my weekly garden blog, a photo gallery for inspiration and ideas, information on typical pests, beneficial companion plants to help keep your veggies alive without chemical support, FAQs about the garden, links to my guides, my favourite books and other cool stuff for your garden, and ways to get in touch.

The members-only part is where it gets juicy:

• A resource page full of quick reference tips and tricks to help you grow a beautiful garden.

• A blog full of deep-dives into projects (both triumphant and “learning experiences”).

• A gallery full of photos from my most recent season in the garden to provide inspiration and ideas for your own planting combos.

• A Garden to Table page full of useful information on companion planting, as well as blog style posts updating you on my own efforts at growing chemical-free, pest-free veggies for my family.

• A page for anyone curious about turning their garden into a little side-hustle, where I share my own wobbly journey there.

• A humour page featuring the sorts of stories that mostly weren’t funny at the time, but now provide a bit of a chuckle (did my son chop his toe off while helping spread dirt? Why does he want a promotion to head gardener when he can’t tell a weed from a pretty plant? And why was I yelling at the cat for something he didn’t even do?!)

“If you’re not killing plants, you’re not really stretching yourself as a gardener.”

Why charge a subscription to join Behind the Garden Gate?

Two reasons:

1. I don’t want to rely on social-media algorithms to reach the very people who actually want to see this stuff. By signing up for a small monthly fee (less than a takeaway coffee per month), I know I’m talking to people who genuinely value my knowledge, and that really helps motivate me to provide it, rather than creating Instagram content and hoping the algorithm shows it to someone.

2. Like many of you, I’m thinking about retirement (it’s alarmingly close), so I’m building a little income stream from sharing what I’ve learned.

It’s $5 NZD a month, or $45 NZD a year. If you’re in a country with a beneficial exchange rate, then it’s even less….basically pocket change. You can cancel anytime….no hard feelings, no awkward break-up speech required.

I’d love you to join me and the gang of gardeners Behind the Garden Gate. I’ll share the wins, commiserate over the fails, and celebrate the fact that gardeners are, obviously, the coolest people on the planet.