Introducing the FDMC Plant Nursery
Francis Douglas Memorial College has a well-established agriculture/horticulture programme, built up over the last 7 years by HOD Aimee Watkins. On our school farm site, fondly referred to as the Agridome, we have an orchard, vege gardens and a plant nursery which our students develop and maintain as part of their course work.
We are passionate about providing education in sustainability for the students at FDMC. During lesson time our students eco-source native seeds, propagate plants, plant, water, feed, weed, prune, compost and do pest control. They have prepared raised garden beds, set up hydroponic systems, and helped build shade houses and berry enclosures. The students also care for our beehives, free-range chooks and farm cattle. Our fruit and vege harvest is all donated to the local food bank, and we donate many of our kowhai plants to the local hospice shops. Each year, our senior students spend a day planting 1000 native trees for local farmers. All students involved in our programmes are involved in one way or another in the nursery. The tasks vary all year round and provide valuable life skills for young men as well as provide a great product at a great price to our community.
“Our fruit and vege harvest is all donated to the local food bank, and we donate many of our kowhai plants to the local hospice shops. Each year, our senior students spend a day planting 1000 native trees for local farmers.”
Mostly we sell our plants through Facebook Marketplace and school newsletters, with small orders for people’s gardens, and large orders for local farmers and lifestyle block owners doing riparian planting and restoration planting. However, we really need to reach a larger market to keep up with the expanding throughput of maturing plants. We hope the Sustainable Taranaki community may be interested in purchasing some of our plants! We have loads of natives ready for planting this autumn and welcome preorders for bulk purchasing. We have just created a website showing the plants we have available - the stock on hand and upcoming. We have large numbers of griselinias, kowhai, karo, hebe, flax, corokia, rengarenga lily and more… Click on the link below to visit our website!
We warmly welcome Sustainable Taranaki members to come and have a look around our plant nursery!
Due to scheduling around school activities, this must be by appointment. Please email plantnursery@fdmc.school.nz to book a visit time with us. Or come along to our upcoming Open Day!
FDMC Plant Nursery - Community Open Day
Tuesday 27th May 2025, 9am - 3pm
All welcome to come and look around our site, buy plants, chat to our staff and students!
201 Tukapa Street. Follow the school driveway to the very end (‘Tree Nursery’ signposts).
