CoirProducts.co.uk Featured Grower this week is Nicole (@nicoleatcherrygarden). In this blog post, Nicole talks to us about how she started gardening, her love for dahlias and other flowers, and some of the most valuable lessons she has learnt over the years. She also shared with us Let’s Grow, Girl’s podcast. She also reminds us that there is no time like the present to grow from seeds, and while some things might not work out, how important it is to find what we love to grow and keep learning from our experiences.
Nicole started gardening about five years ago. Recalling how she got into gardening, Nicole says, “I had seen a café au lait dahlia on Instagram and desperately wanted one, so I called my local florist and asked if they had any in stock. She explained how delicate they were, especially that variety, and if I wanted to have one, then I should think about growing my own. So I did! And I’ve never looked back and grown more and more dahlias every year since, as well as a whole bunch of other stuff.”
Nicole mostly grows on an allotment plot, and she explains how she has come to learn so much, especially in terms of planning her allotment space, over the past five years. “When I first started I had no idea about laying things out to make the best use of space or what things like to go near each other. I just put everything in wherever it grew. Since taking over my new bigger part I have become a lot more methodical about having rows and beds and trying to keep things that go together in the same area. So for example I keep all the dahlias together and I like to organise them in colour and size order. And then I’ve got a dedicated veg area there too.”
While she loves to grow dahlias, Nicole also loves growing roses and as many other flowers as she possibly can. In terms of vegetables, she likes growing courgettes, mainly because they are such a giving plant, adding that, “if you’re a beginner, they are the best thing to start with.” This year, Nicole has also been growing dwarf French beans. Although she has grown these before, this year she was also sowing radishes alongside them, which she has never grown before. She adds about the radishes, “I found it so much fun how quickly they grow.”
Sharing something she is really proud of, Nicole says, “during lockdown, I was able to grow bunches of flowers, particularly dahlias, and give them away to local health workers and teachers and other people who had been supporting the community during those horrible times.”
Nicole also runs the Let’s Grow, Girl’s podcast, and we asked her about the story behind it. “During lockdown my friend Sarah had been talking to me about a podcast about growing flowers. To be honest I was very new to the podcast world and not 100% sure about doing it. But she is a very determined and persuasive friend, so the next thing I knew we were contacting some of our gardening friends and recording episodes. I initially said that I’d be really happy with just 10 people listening to the episodes, but the first episode quickly built up to 500 listeners and then the next thing we know, we’re seven seasons in, releasing an episode every Friday and we’re getting on average 9k-10k listeners per episode now which is amazing and we’ve interviewed so many incredible guests too.”
In talking about some of the most valuable lessons she has learnt through gardening, Nicole reflects on a question they ask their guests at the end of every podcast episode, “we always ask our guests for one piece of advice”. The main thing she has taken from this, Nicole says, is also something she has definitely experienced herself during gardening. That is, “you just have to give things a go, things won’t grow if you don’t plant them. You have to get stuck in and just get started.” She goes on to add, “The other key thing I’ve learnt is that when you’re trying to start growing from scratch and growing from seeds or even from seedlings that you’ve bought, it is inevitable that some things won’t make it. Not every seed becomes a seedling and not every seedling becomes a plant, and the sooner you come to terms with the fact not everything gets through and it’s not always your fault – sometimes mother nature is more powerful than you – the easier you‘ll find gardening.”
On the other hand, Nicole finds weeding a challenge. In addition, this year, while she was lucky enough to get a polytunnel, the different environment there has also posed a challenge.
A typical day in the garden for Nicole changes depending on the season. At the moment, as she says, it involves mostly maintenance and harvesting. “I have a full time day job so most of my gardening is on the evenings and weekends, so I’m keeping on top of the weeds and cutting flowers and picking vegetables every couple of evenings. I’m also going into hardy annual sowing mode, so I’ve been focusing on that on the weekends so I can be ahead of the game for spring. If I miss a day at the plot or just pottering around my garden, I find myself really missing it. It’s become a way of life for me now.”
Nicole also emphasises the benefits of growing your own, noting “It’s just so rewarding. Growing something from a seed or a bulb and seeing all your hard work come to fruition gives me such a sense of fulfilment. I also love spending time outside, with a busy full time job I find it a great way to relax and de-stress.” She also enjoys the mindfulness of gardening. “I love the actual act of gardening and how peaceful it makes me feel. It de-stresses me and the output of it when it’s time to harvest what I’ve been growing gives me such a buzz of happiness.”
Nicole finds inspiration in the gardening community on Instagram. “I have found lots of new friends and inspiration there rather than some of the more traditional gardening heroes. I love following Amy @chicksandveg for lots of veg tips and Anya @anyathegardenfairy is an amazing gardener who I’ve learnt so much from. My now good friend Marryn Mathis @theflowerhouseflowerfarm is a constant inspiration with her determination to make her flowery dreams come true. She also knows all the best varieties to grow, especially when it comes to sweet peas! I also love to grow in pots so Claus Dalby is one of my favourites.”
Nicole also shared her experiences of using coir products. “With the importance of reducing peat within traditional compost, I find Coir Products to be a great natural alternative. It’s a great space saver too considering a small 5kg block makes up about 70 litres of compost. It’s great for my pots too as it helps with moisture retention which is essential with my terracotta pots,” Nicole says.
Sharing tips and suggestions, Nicole urges other gardeners and growers to try something new every year. “It might not work but it might flourish and you’ll find something else you love to grow and maybe even eat too! Also, there’s no time like the present to start growing from seed! A packet of seeds which could grow tens of plants (or more depending on the seeds!) only costs a few pounds and it’s far more rewarding than just buying plants. You can share any extras with your friends and family and even your neighbours,” she says. Importantly, Nicole emphasises the need to enjoy gardening. “There’s no right or wrong way to do anything. Don’t feel like you have to copy what the “gardening greats” do, have some fun trying and most importantly, enjoy gardening, and don’t forget to stop and enjoy your garden!”
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