A craft handed down
Ricky can thank his grandfather for passing on a love of all things plant, seed and soil. He owned the iconic Grange Nursery in Warkworth (now a vibrant shopping and residential precinct). Most of the family developed a greenfinger here, working and learning over a 30 year period. Soon a young Ricky would move to the Kaipara District where his mum continues to own and run a successful nursery.
During his childhood, he learnt the intricate skill of seed collection, and this is a strong point of difference in their business today. The art of foraging in the bush for precious and rare seeds can take years to refine. Knowing where to find them is one thing, handling them, preserving them and growing them quite another!
Hobby turns business
Eventually, it became an easy decision to turn Ricky’s lifelong hobby into a business. The couple built their family home in rural Mangawhai in 2011 and started taking a more active role in his mother’s nursery.
Meanwhile, Jess owned Kakariki – a popular health store in Mangawhai, which she has since sold. The entrepreneurial spirit runs deep in Jess. Aside from a quick pause to focus on their children, she still sells their plants at the local markets. Jess also teaches First Aid and was awarded a life membership for her ongoing voluntary service and commitment to the Mangawhai Heads Volunteer Surf Lifesaving Club.
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"Highly recommend the Mangawhai Natives team. We have been using them on projects for several years now and have purchased plants for around our house, and in larger scale native planting areas on our property - we have always found their advice, quality of work, plant variety and quality of plants to be simply awesome. We have large areas of native bush, so it is really important for us to have locally source seeds and not bring in other genetics which is exactly what Mangawhai Natives does. Absolute pleasure recommending them for any project large or small and supporting our local Mangawhai business owners who give back so much to the community."
~ Adele (Bream Tail Conservation Farm)
A family approach
Energising the pair these days is their nursery, Mangawhai Natives. Family owned and operated, along with a couple of staff members, the nursery is home-based, meaning Ricky and Jess can pour time into their business while the kids happily free-range alongside! Time-out might include a quick surf or fish, the working hours stack up but are unconventional, and it’s definitely an enviable lifestyle.
Organic growth
Business life has been an organic journey to date. Steady growth is credited to the local Saturday markets where Mangawhai Natives is put on full display to an enthusiastic audience. Feedback is glowing, customers return to share news of their thriving plants and unexpected increase in birdlife. Market-goers speak about the lush and glossy plants, and they appreciate wholesale pricing and chatting directly with co-owner, Jess.
The local industry is unique in that Ricky and Jess are good mates with the neighbouring nurseries. When required, plants are sourced between each other, knowledge is swapped and respect runs high. From this positive environment, Mangawhai Natives is flourishing.
Get in touch
Regardless of the size or scope of your project, a high level of service can be expected. From the casual gardener ordering a few plants, to a large-scale client seeking an extensive plant range – we can’t wait to help.