We recently caught up with Emma, founder of Sage Journal, and her design collaborators Steve and Jill at their home (and impressive vege garden) to chat over a cup of tea about their new annual publication celebrating gardens, plants, and the people who tend them. We’re excited to be among the first to stock Sage Journal in our shop very soon! 

Read on for our conversation with Emma, where she shares the story behind Sage, what readers can expect in Vol. 1, and what’s next for this beautiful new gardening publication.




Hi Emma! How did Sage Journal begin, and what was the spark that brought it to life?

When my husband and I bought our first house twelve years ago, I quickly realised what a struggle it was to find local garden inspiration and advice. Aside from many conversations with my very knowledgeable mum and nana, I wanted relatable stories, aspirational projects and a community of younger gardeners to connect with.

Over time that desire grew, and five years ago I started Sage Journal – to share stories of hands-in-the-dirt, soil-on-the-clothes gardeners. People who are sometimes failing, often succeeding, and always asking questions. My aim was to create Aotearoa’s most trusted gardening resource.

From the very beginning, with a homemade website and Instagram account, I knew I wanted to create something in print. Something tactile, for the tactile people gardeners so often are. I’m so happy to finally bring a printed publication to life: an annual journal where knowledge, especially the kind passed down in conversations in the garden, can be shared and preserved. And I’m so excited that brands like Webster’s are stocking it too!




It's our absolute pleasure to stock it! Sage shares stories of real gardens and people, how do you find inspiring contributors or gardens to feature?

After five years of growing the Sage community, there are now so many ways we connect with gardeners. Some come through friends and family, others through recommendations, social media, or gardeners reaching out and sharing their own spaces. Designers and landscape architects also love sharing their work with us. It’s such a joy to have this passionate community, and I’m always on the lookout for more inspiring gardens and nature-inspired people.




Vol. 1 of Sage Journal launches this September, a beautiful, collectible plant-and-place journal. What do you hope readers will discover in its pages that they won’t find elsewhere?

Sage is about finding beauty not only in perfectly manicured gardens, but also in the lived-in corners – the places with weeds, washing lines and signs of real life. We’ve put so much care into making every page of Sage Vol. 1 inspiring, whether it’s a wild and well-loved garden or an architecturally designed one.

Across 190+ pages, we’ve gathered a wide variety of people, places and plants, and shared their stories. It’s really a celebration of the many ways we live with plants.
sage journal

There’s a lovely connection between the garden and the rituals that happen around it, a bit like sitting down with a cup of tea! Do you see Sage as a kind of companion to those slower, everyday moments?

Absolutely. Gardening, or simply noticing more of the environment around you, is one of the best ways to slow down, be present and enjoy the moment. There are so many health benefits to gardening, but also equally (I think) in the pausing and reflecting on what you’ve co-created with nature. (And yes – those moments are made even better with a cup of tea in hand.)




What’s next for Sage, any exciting projects or directions on the horizon?

I still feel like I’m catching my breath after the months of work it took to put this journal together! But we’re already planning stories and photoshoots for next year’s volume, and that’s really exciting. We’d also love to run more events in future, which is something we're starting to plan. Perhaps a bit more travel to see and share some more interesting places. There’s always something new brewing!

And finally, if you could share a cup of tea with anyone, who would it be, and why?

Gosh, that’s tricky. But on the theme of gardening, I’d have to say Monty Don. An absolute legend of a gardener, and seems so authentic and personable. I’d love to get over to the UK to meet him and some of the incredible garden designers there. And of course, the Brits do love their tea!

Thanks so much Emma!

Sage Journal Vol. 1 will be available shortly at our retail shop:

7 Clarke Rd, Te Puna, Tauranga

We’re open Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 3pm.

You can visit Emma’s Sage Journal website - here
And follow her on Instagram - here