A GARDENER'S ADVENTURE

So today, I'm joined by someone many of you will know from Instagram, The Gardener's Adventure.

What I love about his content and how real it is, it's not about perfect gardens or getting everything right, it's about the process, the learning, and just getting stuck in.

And today, we're going to talk about all of that, how it started, what he's learned, what actually works if you're starting out, and also a little bit about growing, what growing gives us when life isn't always straightforward, and I think both Reece and I know what that feels like.

So welcome.

It's lovely to have you.

Tell us a little bit about you and how The Gardener's Adventures began.

Were you always gardening or did it come later? And what was the moment it really clicked for you?

Well, I would say that I was going to work on a regular basis, and there was an allotment that was right next to me, and I thought, "Oh, should I give it a go? Should I not?" And it was months of me driving past it each time, sort of having that contemplation.

And then I took a pitch on, and I didn't really give it too much effort or love.

I kind of just got a bit overwhelmed with it and thought, "You know, maybe I'll do it again next year." And then obviously, I, I ended up getting diagnosed with cancer, and I kind of found that I just had all this extra time on my hands 'cause I wasn't working, and that sort of allowed me to dive into it.

I think gardening, in a way, is a bit like a full-time job, which is why I could understand that it used to be predominantly aimed at, you know, sort of older people that were retired because you could very easily sit there all day thinking, "What have I done today? I've literally planted a, a tree, and I've been here for eight hours."

Yeah, definitely.

Definitely.

[laughs]

Yeah, you do need some time.

But then, you know, I suppose certainly in the beginning you need time to just get it all set up and organized, and then lots of mulch so you don't have to do too much weeding, and then being organized with things like watering.

Yeah, it, uh, I, well, I would say someone could do half an hour a day, or they could do eight hours a day depending what they're trying to achieve.

Well, it, well, this is it.

I'm one of those people that's kind of an all or nothing.

Yeah.

So I started off with one plot, and then I got carried away and thought, "Oh, I've got all these extra ideas," you know, as you're learning new skills and developing and wanting to test yourself.

I then took a second plot on, and then you're back to square one again 'cause you're de-weeding, going through the motions, planning the plot out, all the exciting stuff.

And then, "Oh, maybe I should take another plot on because I've got all these-

Yeah

... other new ideas I wanna do." And before you know it, you've got three plots at the allotment and your garden that you're, you're sort of managing.