Bumblebees

Round and fuzzy, bumblebees are like tiny, airborne bundles of velvet. Their bodies hum with an almost clumsy determination, wings beating so fast they blur against the air. They move with surprising grace despite their bulk, dipping into flowers with a low, contented buzz that feels more like a purr than a whine. Covered in fine hairs, they dust themselves with pollen as they go, unwitting gardeners of the world.

Dragonflies

Dragonflies are the acrobats of the air - sleek, iridescent bodies glinting like jewels in the sun. With delicate, translucent wings that seem stitched from glass, they dart and hover in impossible directions: forwards, backwards, sideways, still as statues one moment and gone the next. Their large, faceted eyes take in almost everything at once, making them master hunters and mesmerizing companions near water.

Butterflies

Butterflies are living confetti, drifting pieces of colour set loose on the breeze. Their wings, often patterned like painted silk, open and close in slow, graceful rhythms, as though breathing beauty into the day.

Light and fragile, they flit from flower to flower, sometimes pausing just long enough for us to marvel at the miracle of something so delicate enduring in the world.

The Kōwhai (Sophora species) is one of New Zealand's most iconic native trees, celebrated for its striking golden flowers. Its name, Kōwhai, literally means "yellow" in te reo Mãori, and when in bloom, the tree becomes a beacon of sunshine against the landscape.

The flowers are vivid, pendulous clusters of bright golden-yellow, with a distinctive tubular, lantern-like shape that flares slightly at the tip. They often appear in early spring, hanging in cascades that attract Tūī, Korimako (bellbirds), and Kererū, all of whom feast on the nectar. The blossoms have a delicate, silky texture and seem almost luminous when sunlight filters through them.

The leaves are fine, soft, and feathery in appearance.

Each compound leaf is made up of many tiny, oval leaflets arranged neatly along a slender midrib, giving the tree a graceful, airy look. The foliage is a fresh, light green, contrasting beautifully with the bold flowers. In autumn, the leaves can turn a subtle yellow before dropping, leaving the branches bare until the next cycle of renewal.

Together, the golden flowers and delicate leaves make the Kōwhai a symbol of resilience and beauty in Aotearoa - a tree that embodies both strength and lightness.

Bees and Mānuka flowers make quite the lively pair.

Mānuka, with its dainty white or blush-pink blossoms, dotting the bush like a scatter of stars fallen to earth.

Each flower is small but perfectly formed, with a sweet, herbal fragrance that hints at the golden treasure it holds.

The bees know it well. They arrive like tiny, determined adventurers in striped jackets, wobbling through the air with a buzz that sounds suspiciously like laughter. One after another, they dive headfirst into the blossoms, legs dangling like carefree swimmers, emerging dusted with pollen and smug with nectar. It's a bit of a party - the flowers opening their arms, the bees clambering in and out as if the whole shrub were hosting an endless buffet.

Together they're a comic duet of precision and play: blossoms offering their sugary secrets, bees bumbling with delight, and somewhere in the mix, that famous Mānuka honey quietly being brewed.