Jim O’Gorman is a New Zealander whose life’s work is aimed at solving some of the big problems of our times: topsoil loss and land degradation. Jim, who’s been dubbed “the Dirt Doctor”, grows superb vegetables and researches soil care and remediation. His research lab is a tiny 0.57 …

Most people think Alice in Wonderland is an amusing story for kids. But it’s never been that for me, thanks to the name my parents gave me. For many years there was no love lost between me and that other Alice. But I’ve warmed to her. I’ve been inspired to…

This is the story behind my new book, Meet your greens: Enliven your salads with herbal energetics. It’s about how to make amazing salads, but it’s also about a lot more than that. Meet Your Greens comes out of my lifelong interest in the different flavours of salad greens. I’ve…

Once in a lifetime a band comes along that you love so much, they become part of your world. For me, it’s Sneaky Feelings. This is the story of how I discovered my favourite New Zealand band. …

“I saw a film today, oh boy…” Richard Curtis and Danny Boyle’s film Yesterday gave me a sense of déjà vu. Because I can remember living in a world where The Beatles didn’t exist. …

This story was originally published at www.AliceBulmer.com. My favourite plant is the nettle. The European stinging nettle, Urtica dioica. There’s a nettle patch at the bottom of my garden. Nettles aren’t pretty or sculptural, unlike many other plants that are considered weeds. But they are interesting and very useful. Nettles…

Imagine making music and singing with your family and friends at Christmas. With ukuleles. (Of course!) I think ukuleles and Christmas go together wonderfully well. Even if you’re a beginner ukulele player, you can play Christmas carols. Going to big carol singing events is great. But having live music in your living room or on your porch is wonderful and special. It…

This article was first published on my writer’s blog, www.alicebulmer.com, in 2016. My mother, Sue Bulmer, passed away in October 2016. Every couple of weeks I drive to Auckland to make music with my mother, Sue. It’s fun and joyful for both of us. My mother has dementia. It has…