I’ve been fortunate to receive wonderful support from Phil Dunn and his staff at Ribbonwood Nurseries in Dunedin. Phil has been running the nursery for around 40 years, propagating exclusively indigenous plants. He mostly collects his own seeds from around Dunedin, so the plants that result are already adapted to the local environment. 

The nursery stretches over more than one hectare, and includes covered areas that create a little more warmth to get the germinating seeds off to a good start. The young seedlings are transferred into progressively larger pots to provide customers with plants of various sizes and ages, suitable for the customer requirements.

From the first time I spoke to Phil, he understood my plans for the Kauri forest. His knowledge of both natives and local conditions have been a critical component of the planning that has gone into this project. I expected to wait a year or two to have nurse trees available for planting in the pasture on the property, but Phil is able to supply all of the 7,200 stems required for the spring of 2023. Phil has previously visited the property, so he knows what’s growing in the existing forest, and is able to plan for subsequent years.