Hokianga Heirloom Tomatoes

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    • Hiwa-i-te-rangi

      Dreams and aspirations

      Hiwa-i-te-rangi is the star of dreams and the keeper of our deepest hopes, the one we turn to when we cast our aspirations into the sky.

      In the spirit of her guiding light, Tomato Love began with a simple wish: to grow something meaningful, to nourish others, and to reconnect with the land. What started as a handful of heirloom seeds in my hands became a journey of remembering, that tiny things matter, that stories live in soil, and that the dreams we plant can become harvests for the future.

      Dr Rangi Mātāmua explains in Matariki: The Star of the Year, Hiwa-i-te-rangi is the youngest of the Matariki cluster, and it is to her that we direct our wishes at the rising of Matariki, planting intentions like seeds into the sky.

    • Tomato Love Founder, Serena Anderton.

      Tomato Love Began as a Whisper

      It didn't really start with a plan.

      It started with one seedling tray, one breath of fresh air, and one woman listening to the whenua.

      What began as a garden became a way of remembering. Of restoring. Of rooting myself deeper.

      Let's get luminous ladies.

      Zinnias are the most beautiful flowers you could give you garden.

      The Garden Teaches Presence

      During lockdown I discovered something unexpected: gardening manipulates time.

      Hours disappear into the soil Then one bloom appears, and time slows to a breath.

      This is the rhythm I return to and it's what Tomato Love still flows from.

      My Grandparents who I miss every day, William and Betty Hauraki and Serena Anderton Tomato Love founder.

      A Garden Rooted in Memory

      My grandparents, William and Betty Hauraki, taught me what love looked like.

      My Aunty Carol unraveled mysteries and experiences like no other, in her huge beautiful gardens.

      Their teachings live on in every seedling I send, every flower I plant, every story I keep alive.

      At the heart of this kaupapa is the belief that every seed carries memory.

      I te kākano ahua i ruia mai i Rangiātea - I am a seed sown from Rangiātea.

      Our tūpuna pass this knowledge down.

      A dahlia flower with seven bumblebees seeking sanctuary in the petals.

      What I Stand For

      Tomato Love isn't just about tomatoes. It's about truth, bodiversity, and sacred responsibility.

      I grow with care for the land, for pollinators and for the people who come after us. This is slow, intentional living work. And as my grandfather always said to me, kotiro leave things better than how you found them.

      Tomato Love is my way of teaching remembering, and offering back the wisdom that was handed to me through soil, seed, and story.

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