The wonderful thing about gardening is that it is a universal experience. Anyone can do it; young or old, in city apartments, suburban backyards or dreamy country patches.
LocalFlourish is a website for gardeners; any gardener, anywhere. Our first attempts in the garden were hampered by the advice we could access, often not specific to our region, the variety we had chosen, or (oops) the country we were in. LocalFlourish gives you localised advice on how to grow an ever growing selection of plants, including advice on local pests and diseases.
Our experience with gardening started small; one day James noticed an interesting development on top of a disused car park near his work. The Little Veggie Patch Co.'s amazing Pop-Up Patch was being born. He was looking for a social activity to share with his work team, so he signed them up for a veggie patch. However, there was one small problem; he didn’t really know anything about gardening!
So, he set himself the task of heading to the patch every day, asking at least one question each time, and gradually building a successful patch. This led to our first home garden: a hodge-podge collection of pots on a rather rickety balcony. Many years later, a garden was one of the key requirements for our first home. We finally settled in a gentrifying industrial area, with a small garden, mostly concreted over. A labour of love over several years saw us jackhammer up 8.5 tons of concrete, rip down a pergola and install a set of eight wicking beds. This year we are finally approaching the backyard farm of our dreams.
Gardening is about communities, most of all. Being outside, even if it’s just going to your window ledge, connects you with the world outside yourself and your family. It makes us healthier human beings, and better neighbours. In our little corner of the world, we see people growing things in very inventive ways; on veggie boxes on nature strips, flowers in alleys and sprawling pumpkins in previously gravelled front yards.
Of course, gardens yield food. For children, there is such wonder in planting something, watching it grow, and then enjoying it straight from the plant. Nothing can compete with the taste of freshly picked sweet corn; it has nothing in common with the starchy kernels purchased in ice from the supermarket. Sharing excess produce and plants are a great way to connect with neighbours and friends, while also reducing food waste.
LocalFlourish represents the opportunity to connect with other people around you, facing the same challenges but with many different perspectives to offer. Local advice from other gardeners is a gift money can’t buy; even inexperienced gardeners can connect and teach others.
So please, join our community and come along for a ride to a bright, green future!
-- James & Rebecca
