Our story
Hi — we’re Richard & Julie Evans.
Richard’s connection with the land goes back generations. He was raised on sheep and beef farms across the Taupō, Rotorua, and North Waikato districts, where early mornings, muddy boots, and a deep respect for nature were part of everyday life. It was here, under the guidance of his grandparents and parents, that his love of plants first took root.
Our journey into growing native plants began at home, on Richard’s family farm in the North Waikato. When we started fencing off waterways, wetlands, and unproductive pasture, we were amazed by how quickly the environment responded — birds returned, water quality improved, and native seedlings began to thrive. Seeing these changes sparked something in us, and we realised that many others — farmers, lifestyle block owners, landscapers, and developers — would benefit from easier access to healthy, well-grown native plants.
What started as a small family endeavour has grown far beyond our expectations. With help from our son, Damian, we collect seeds from local source areas and nurture them with care. Over the years our nursery has expanded, and we now grow approximately 500,000 native plants each year, supplying quality stock to landscapers, developers, landowners, and conservation projects across the region.
Every plant we grow reflects our commitment to the land we love — rooted in family, grounded in nature, and grown with heart. We’re proud of how far we’ve come, and we hope our nursery inspires everyone who visits.
Our Nursery
In the spring of 2021, we planted the first seeds of what would become Windy Ridge Nursery. We started by engaging a local fencing contractor to build a protective windbreak — essential for sheltering our young plants. Next came the hard work of laying hundreds of truck loads of metal so our plants would have a clean, stable place to grow. Then we installed our irrigation system — and after plenty of trial and error, we finally got it running just right.
We’re fortunate to have a close relationship with a local seed propagator who germinates our seeds and sends them to us as small plants, known as plugs. These plugs are carefully potted on into trays and pots, where we nurture them through the seasons. Our plants are then ready to go out for sale from early Autumn through to late Spring the following year.
