CoirProducts.co.uk Grower of the Month this month is Natalie (@grunge_and_gardening). In this blog post, Natalie reflected on her early experiences spending time in the garden with her dad, talking about how she still uses the lessons and techniques she’s learnt from him. She also spoke to us about how gardening has helped her and what it means to be a sustainable grower. With two young kids, as Natalie says, little and often is what works the best for her when it comes to tending to her garden. Read on to find out all about Natalie’s gardening journey.
How and when did you start gardening/growing?
My dad has always been a keen gardener, so I’ve got lots of fond memories of helping him in the garden growing up. Not realising it at the time, he taught me so many valuable techniques about how to tend to plants, how to organically deal with pests and even make compost that I use today. I still love walking around his garden with him, discussing what he has growing and how his season has gone so far. A trip to visit my dad now always ends with me bringing home some cuttings or plugs for our garden (thanks Dad!).
How has your garden changed since you first started growing?
Our home garden was mostly patio when we moved in. We hired the biggest skip we could and my husband removed the surplus paving and what turned out to be layers of builders rubble and bricks hidden under the lawn then completely re-turfed the lawn himself. Being a fan of dahlias, it didn’t take me long to request flower beds which added some much needed colour and biodiversity to the once barren garden. I added containers for vegetables but kept everything small scale initially since I had just had our first child and was a busy mummy.
I started my Instagram account @grunge_and_gardening which is inspired by the love of rock music and horticulture, both handed down to me by my dad. It has been a great way to track the progress I’m making. Here I was introduced to an absolutely wonderful community of like-minded growers, and it wasn’t long before I hankered for more.
In 2022 after a few years on the waiting list for an allotment plot I got the call to say I had reached the top and could look around the available plots. This time, with my second child, then a 4-week-old baby, in tow, and with a bit more confidence in growing behind me, I said ‘yes!’
What is your typical day like, when it comes to tending to your garden?
Most of my gardening at home at the moment happens after the school run and at nap time. I check on my cold frames and take a walk around the garden. I love listening to the birds and figuring out whose song I can hear trilling away.
Little and often is key to gardening with kids in tow. My husband helps at the allotment with the manual tasks, though most of the digging (of the couch grass) has been my mission, keeping me very fit postpartum! He’ll take the kids for a walk around the site, to the nearby park or to the train line whilst I furiously sow seeds, weed and water.
What do you enjoy most about growing/gardening?
After I had our first child, my mental health suffered. What I love about gardening is that it instantly grounds me, and truly brings inner joy and peace. Slowly the clouds of depression and anxiety began to lift. I found that the mindfulness of watching something I had grown from seed, helped me to be a better version of myself. I really enjoy watching the wildlife I find in the garden, so this year my focus will be encouraging more pollinators in and creating a small wildlife pond to bring in beneficial predators.
What tips would you offer to other gardeners/growers? / what tips would you offer for getting children involved in gardening?
Tending a garden, whilst keeping a household running, working and caring for children is a tricky balancing act. It’s easy to feel like a failure when something you’ve grown is neglected due to other more pressing family commitments. I’d say start small- really be mindful and enjoy that little thing you are doing. It’s a hobby, NOT a job! Learn what ways of growing work for you.
Getting kids involved is great as it teaches them about where their food comes from, how plants grow, how the weather works, how the animals and insects interact with us. Being in nature truly is the best school there is! Big seeds are great for little fingers – think squashes and beans sown into coir coins- it couldn’t be simpler.
What are some of the benefits of growing your own?
I’ll be growing as organically as possible, in order to reap the health benefits. I’m aiming to stay pesticide free, peat-free and make my own fertilisers from nettle and comfrey. Knowing where our family’s fruit and vegetables are coming from and how they’ve been grown is a fantastically empowering thing.
Have you used any coir-based products?
I recently tried coir compost for the first time and it’s amazing how fast my vegetable seeds germinated! I think it’s magical just how so much can come from a tiny block. The ability to be able to store compost and prepare it when needed is so convenient. It’s also great knowing a byproduct of the coconut industry is being diverted from waste, allowing me to grow food and plants for my friends and family to enjoy.
What are your thoughts on becoming a sustainable grower?
For me, knowing how sustainable coir is is a fantastic relief. I’ll be trialling using coir in making my soil blocks, one of the methods I use for sowing seeds, and sharing my findings on my Instagram page. In doing so, hopefully more growers like me can see how easy it is to reduce their plastic waste and support sustainable gardening practices.
It’s not about being perfect, sustainable gardening can look like starting small, making conscious changes to how you garden in order to help our planet.
This year I’ll also be seeing if I can attach drip irrigation to my waterbutts both at home and possibly the allotment to conserve water and really automate the process, allowing me more time to do other tasks, or more importantly, simply enjoy the garden with my family!
At Coir Products by Salike®, we take pride in the quality of our products and the positive impact we make on the communities who help
In today’s world, gardening is much more than a pastime; it’s a mindful choice to support biodiversity, boost sustainability, and cultivate well-being. At CoirProducts of
