Our  Ethos

Hands in the Dirt was born out of a love of flowers, nature and being outside. Hands in the Dirt was established in 2019 by Aila Morgan Guthrie with the love and support of her Mum, Astrud. Growing and working with nature has always been an intrinsic part of our lives. The decision to begin Hands in the Dirt was a very natural process. By turning passion into work, we have been able to connect deeply with nature and share with people, the joyful aspect of sustainable, locally grown flowers.

Hands in the Dirt is situated on a 12-acre farm in Ahuroa Valley, Auckland. The flower fields are only half an acre, focusing on intimacy and growing select, seasonal flower varieties in smaller numbers. We follow regenerative principles, working with the seasons to create environmentally friendly flowers. We grow our flowers using organic (not certified) methods, embracing all their quirks and imperfections. Our flowers are grown and developed into bouquets on our farm, with all green waste from the flowers composted and put back into our flower beds. We place a large emphasis on caring for Mother Nature, with our work always following the ‘slow flower movement’. This means we follow a ‘no-till’ approach, using cover crops, organic compost and fertilisers to amend and look after the biodiversity within our soil.

Working symbiotically with nature, we aim to create an intimate connection between our flowers and arrangements. Every bouquet and arrangement is created using the very best from our farm. No flower is mass-produced, making every arrangement unique and individual.

With Aroha,

Aila x