After a career in the fast-paced world of fashion, Laura Tait found herself drawn to a slower rhythm shaped by gardens, seasons and the simple beauty of flowers.
Today, from Pūhoi Farmhouse, she combines her eye for composition with a deep appreciation for nature, creating evocative botanical photographs and a space designed to inspire connection and calm.
“We were very lucky that the farmhouse was cared for beautifully by the previous owners, but like any old house it needs an awful lot of maintenance – the list is endless,” she tells Verve. “I have learned that you cannot do it all at once, if things start to fall apart it is okay to only be able to do the emergency stuff.”
The artist describes trading Auckland for a rural life as a “slow burn that turned into a calling”, and then finding the Puhoi property made the decision easy.
“My husband Andy and I had talked and dreamed about a property like this,” she says, “For me at first it was about planting fruit trees, getting chickens and growing veggies, I had no real gardening knowledge and didn’t know much at all about growing flowers other than to go to the garden centre and bring home punnets that had a short life in the garden.”
But Laura soon found the digging, the seed sowing, the egg collecting, the fruit picking, and, of course, “photographing flowers I’d grown myself” to be beyond rewarding.
“It’s hard work but I wouldn’t change it for anything,” she continues. “I do love fashion and have been fortunate to work in the fashion industry photographing designer collections as a freelance photographer while also working on the gardens so in a way I have been able to keep my feet in both worlds.”
And what has the farmhouse taught her?
“The saying ‘if you love what you do then you never have to work another day in your life’ really is true. I can’t wait to get into the garden. That is my perfect day and on a summer evening we will take our portable speaker out, play music and have a glass of wine as bees and butterflies float past our heads, the scent of roses fills the air, chickens rustle around the garden beds and our dogs snooze at our feet.”
Working so closely with flowers has also changed the way she thinks about the passage of time.
“I am so aware of the changing seasons and how fast they go by. And I am not happy about ageing, just because I feel I am in a race against time, I started this later in life and am just starting to really get a feel for the imagery I’m creating and I have so much to do.
“But I have a deep sense of gratitude that comes with being in a position to do this,” she adds. “I am fully aware that I am very fortunate and I don’t let a day pass without putting in the hard work. Every day we get to be here is a gift.”
The garden has taught Laura that things take time, too.
“It does not have to be perfect. Soil health is extremely important, weeds are okay. Think about your pollinators, the garden is a place that is filled with life, under the soil… and above.”
To see Lauras work visit puhoifarmhouse.com
