You've been gardening from an early age. How did you get into it - was there a family influence?
My gardening journey started when I was 17 after applying for a job in a garden centre as a summer temp. At this point, although I loved nature and being outdoors, I had never done anything garden related and this was simply a job to make some money. During my first week the owner gave me some long straggly seed potatoes and said to take them home and plant them if I wanted, so I did. Little did I know that planting those seed potatoes would turn my thumbs green! I got the bug instantly. What else could I grow?
Over the following seven years me and my dad built a veg garden with 10 raised beds, a three-bay compost system and we acquired three freebie greenhouses too! I was growing everything and anything I could.
At 24 I moved to North Yorkshire with my partner Dean and, of course, I had to bring one of my greenhouses with me. I've grown so much in that greenhouse, it really is my happy place. After a few years living in North Yorkshire, I finally found my dream job, plant area manager at Whitegates Garden Nursery a family-owned garden nursery set in beautiful countryside and I get to look after all the plants. Heaven, right?
I live and breathe plants, all day every day. Me and my dad have competitions to see who can grow the biggest tomatoes and who harvests the first carrots each year. I grow all my plants from seed so every year I grow tomatoes, cucumbers and pumpkins for Mum, Dad and my granny too. It's such a great feeling growing plants for them all.
Do you do your gardening on an allotment or in the garden or both?
This story is from the February 2024 edition of Kitchen Garden.
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This story is from the February 2024 edition of Kitchen Garden.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
Already a subscriber? Sign In
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