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The brave story behind Plant Lingo 🌿
Published 2 days ago • 7 min read
Hello, my dear Frankies!
I'm loving keeping up to date with what's going on back home, even while I'm a whole ocean away! I love getting all the Instagram messages and the emails from Frankie's with the what's going on!
And one very gorgeous thing I’m loving - and I'm sure you’ve seen it popping up all over the place - is Plant Lingo!
These playful, plant-filled nights are being held every Wednesday around Franklin, and this week we get to share the beautiful, brave story behind them.
So read on to meet Rebecca Hart from Aligned Hart Wellness NZ, and learn how a super fun night of plants, laughter and community grew from something much bigger.
And of course, let me know if there’s anything cool coming up in Franklin that I may have missed!
R. and the Frankie Team xx
Plant Lingo, brain tumours, and the healing power of a fun little night out
Meet Rebecca Hart from Aligned Hart Wellness
There's nothing more wholesome than a room full of grown adults getting crazy excited over a line of plants ♥
If you haven’t been yet, Plant Lingo is Rebecca’s playful twist on the traditional game, but with more fun and connection. People arrive, grab dinner or a drink from the venue, settle in, and then spend an evening full of trivia, spot prizes, lots of laughs, and beautiful plants up for grabs.
“It’s a time to embrace your inner child and be playful and silly,” Rebecca says. “And if you’re into plants, it’s fun to know you might be able to go home with a new pretty one.”
From a fun idea to something much bigger
The idea came from Rebecca’s love of bringing people together. Long before Plant Lingo, she was the friend organising the perfume parties, lingerie parties, Mexican nights, macramé workshops, cacao ceremonies and wellness retreats.
“My strengths and purpose, I feel, is to bring people together to help create opportunities for connection,” she says.
Rebecca initially saw the idea of plant bingo online and started thinking about how she could make it her own. Nothing traditional, or difficult. She wanted something light, silly, nature-based and just more her.
And then came the diagnosis.
More recently, after being plagued all year with eye troubles, Rebecca was diagnosed with a brain tumour and told she would need surgery, followed by two months off work and six months unable to drive.
“When I learnt about my brain tumour and the surgery, recovery and how I won’t be able to work for two months and can’t drive for six months, I instantly went into fix-it mode,” she says.
A friend suggested she start a Givealittle page to help support herself through recovery, but that didn’t feel right to Rebecca.
“There was no way I was doing that,” she says. “It’s not in my nature to just ask for a handout. I will and have always earnt my way. So that’s when I was like, ‘Plant Lingo it is!’”
The why behind the plants
So Plant Lingo became three things at once: a creative idea, a community night, and a practical way for Rebecca to build a savings fund before surgery.
It's helping her prepare for the everyday costs that don't pause just because life has thrown a massive curveball. Food, bills, mortgage, rates, insurance, all the very unglamorous things that still need to be paid while she recovers.
But it has become much more than that too.
Most of the Plant Lingo nights are held on Wednesday's - when there's not a lot on! Local venues have reached out to host the nights, and Wednesday evenings have become a boost for them too, bringing people in for food, drinks, laughter and connection.
“My favourite thing is seeing the smiles and hearing the surprised little screeches of people when they complete a line and realise they have won,” Rebecca says.
The plants come from Kiwi Colour Nursery, where Rebecca works, and they carry a bigger message too.
“Just like plants need sunlight, water, nutrients, and care to grow and thrive, so do we,” she says. “None of us are meant to do life alone.”
More than a game night
That is really the heart of Aligned Hart Wellness as well.
Rebecca started her wellness business back in 2018, first as Enrich Holistic Wellness, then WhiriWhiri Healing, and now Aligned Hart Wellness. Over the years she has run forest bathing, mosaic workshops, candle making, crystal and chakra evenings, Reiki energy healing, holistic life coaching, retreats and creative wellness events.
For Rebecca, the activity itself is only part of it.
“It’s not necessarily about what you’re doing,” she says. “It’s more about how it makes people feel when they give themselves permission to have a moment for themselves. That’s where the true healing comes from.”
She calls it a “mindful holiday,” and I think Plant Lingo has become exactly that.
A little night off from the serious stuff and a fun reason to get out of the house. A way to laugh with strangers. A chance to be brave and come along on your own. A reminder that community does not always have to be formal or complicated. Sometimes it looks like a table of people cheering because someone just won a plant. ♥
Showing up, even when life is heavy
Since her diagnosis, Rebecca says she has been in survival mode, working full time, working weekends, running Plant Lingo nights, managing home and farm life, and trying to get everything ready before surgery.
“People often ask me, when do I sleep?” she laughs.
Sharing what she is going through has helped too.
“I am a very honest and transparent person and I don’t want to fake being OK when I’m not,” Rebecca says.
Now, she hopes Plant Lingo and Aligned Hart Wellness grow into a thriving wellness community. One where people don’t have to pretend everything is fine. One where someone can say they’re having a tough week and be met with support instead of silence.
“That’s all people really need,” she says. “To know they are not alone.”
How to support Rebecca
So if you want to support Rebecca before she takes time off for surgery and recovery, the best thing you can do is simple and super fun!
Book a Plant Lingo night! Bring your friends. Support the venue. Laugh for a couple of hours. Maybe win a plant.
And help Rebecca keep growing this beautiful little community, one fun, joyful, plant-filled evening at a time.
☕ Home and Office Barista Workshop 3.30pm, Your Local Coffee School, 173 Manukau Rd. Learn barista skills at home or for the office. All the details here
🍻 Quiz Night at Pukekohe Golf Club 6.30-8.30pm. A fun weekly pub quiz for all skill levels. More info here
🍹 Cocktail Happy Hour at Little Ed 6-7pm. All your favourites, just a little bit cheaper!
Friday
🎨 Guided Mood Board Session with No Butter Cups 11am, At Home Inspo and Design Centre. Get creative guidance for designing your space. More info here
🍸 Ladies Night Out at Elsie's Bar and Restaurant 7pm, Tuakau Hotel. A fun night out for the ladies. Check it out!
Saturday
🛒 Tuakau Community Market 9am-1pm, Central Park, corner of George St and Jellicoe Ave, Tuakau. A great local market with stalls and goodies for the whole family.
🎄 Midwinter Christmas Quiz Night 7pm, Waiuku COSC Club. A fundraiser for Waiuku Volunteer Fire Brigade. All the details here
🧵 Raranga Harakeke Workshop with Robyn Stewart 10am, Franklin Arts Centre. Learn traditional weaving with a local artist. More info here
🖼️ Whenua Mai, Whenua Atu Exhibition Opening 10am, Community Gallery Space, Franklin Arts Centre. An exhibition by Nyle Turuwhenua exploring the relationship between people and the land, running 20 June to 8 July. Check it out!
🎤 Franklin's Got Talent 2026 7pm, 18 Logan Rd, Buckland Hall. A showcase of local talent for a fun night out. All the details here
🥋 Counties Shotokan Karate Quiz Night Fundraiser 6pm, RSA Franklin, 17 Edinburgh Street. A fun quiz night raising funds for the local karate club. More info here
Sunday
🌾 Franklin Country Market 8am, Pukekohe Park Raceway. Homegrown produce, crafts, food trucks and live music. Check it out!
🧘 Sunday Stretch Sessions with The Stretch Collective 9am, Rxfitness235, 42 Belgium St, Waiuku. A 45-minute stretch session for all levels. All the details here
♻️ Upcycle Your Wardrobe Workshop 10am, Waiuku Zero Waste, 5 Hosting Place. A two-part workshop on giving your clothes new life. Check it out!
🌳 Winter Forest Bathing 10am, Sanctuary Retreat. A relaxing guided session connecting with nature. All the details here
🕊️ Midwinter Insight Session with The Pause Society 1pm, Waiuku Yacht Club. A reflective session for midwinter wellbeing. More info here
monday
🍳 Good Food, Bright Minds Breakfast 7-9am, Cafe Queen, Waiuku. A free nourishing breakfast for school kids, every Monday during term time.
🍺 Quiz Night at Good Home Pukekohe 7pm, 65 Edinburgh Street. Booking recommended for this popular weekly quiz.
🏃 The Wellness Run Club 5.45am, Your Local Coffee, West Street. A 5km loop suitable for all levels.
Tuesday
🎨 Painting Club at Franklin Arts Centre 6-8pm. Bring your project for two hours of dedicated painting time with other local artists, term time only.
🏃 STRIDE - TRIBE Run Club 7pm, 21 Martyn Street, Waiuku. A free, pressure-free 3km walk or run for everyone. Check it out!
☕ Coffee Cupping at Your Local Coffee 10am, 173 Manukau Rd. Sample and learn about different coffees. All the details here
💼 LinkedIn Workshop with People Ink 11am. Boost your LinkedIn skills, details on booking. More info here
Wednesday
🧑🤝🧑 Anti-Social Social Club for Teens 3.30pm, 12 Massey Avenue, Pukekohe East. A welcoming after-school space for teens of all kinds to hang out.
🚒 Fire Station Run Club 5.30pm, Fire Station Eatery, Pukekohe. 2.5km and 5km options with spot prizes and bar menu discounts.
👶 Raising Resilient and Confident Kids Talk 6pm, Patumahoe School. A helpful talk for parents on building resilience in children. All the details here
🎶 Beats by Bingo at Little Ed 7.30pm, Little Ed Bar. A musical twist on bingo for a fun night out. More info here
🥗 Ladies Lunch at Pukekohe Park 11am, Pukekohe Park. A lovely lunch event for the ladies. Check it out!
Word Scramble answer: Green Leaves
p.s. If someone awesome sent you this email and you want to subscribe yourself, sign up here 👉 dearfrankie.co.nz
"Think Waiuku, Pukekohe + surrounds are boring? You haven't signed up for Dear Frankie yet!"
Find out what's going on in town this week - the fun way! 💥
*NEW FREE LOCAL NEWSLETTER!* Covering Franklin's community gatherings, gigs and events, job postings, digital farmers market, weekend getaways, local stories and more...all delivered straight to your inbox for free! New editions every Thursday at 9:16 am. Subscribe free! 👇
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