A Chat With Alex Stott

About Alex

BIO: Alex is an event producer and passionate gardener from Melbourne's inner suburbs. Alex tends a thriving courtyard oasis, focusing on sustainability, growing from seed, and attracting local wildlife. A creative soul and nature lover, she enjoys making mosaics, repurposing secondhand finds, and relaxing in the garden after a busy day.

Alex's location: Inner Suburbs Melbourne, VIC.

To learn more about Alex's Courtyard Garden:
My Smart Garden Article: https://mysmartgarden.org.au/case_study/alexs-courtyard-garden-in-stonnington/

More about this episode:

In this episode of How I Grow, Nat sits down with Alex, an event producer from Melbourne's inner suburbs who has turned a 10-by-7 meter tiled courtyard into a diverse, pollinator-friendly sanctuary. Alex shares how her gardening journey had a later start, sparked at age 35 during the Melbourne COVID lockdowns after losing her job. With a tiny budget in a rental property, Alex famously began by growing zucchinis in an old pillowcase tucked inside a milk crate. Fast forward to today, and that same trial-and-error approach has completely transformed her current ground-floor apartment courtyard. From a flat-pack greenhouse and raised veggie beds to an impressive passionfruit vine that yielded over 120 fruits last summer, Alex’s story is a beautiful look at getting creative with small spaces. Alex also shares the ups and downs of the garden, including accidentally baking plants in the summer heat of the greenhouse and dealing with the failure of a thorny youngberry bush.

Beyond the garden beds, Alex speaks from the heart about how stepping out into the courtyard has become a necessary respite from a busy, and sometimes stressful, 9-to-5 job. She shares her excitement of pulling out her beloved orange tin of seeds each spring, finding pure joy in the entire process of watching a seed grow rather than just focusing on the finished vegetable. Whether she's bringing a bargain-bin grapevine back to life, creating DIY mosaics to decorate the walls, or successfully growing a coffee tree in a pot, Alex’s approach is all about experimenting and keeping things sustainable through hard-rubbish finds.

It’s a refreshing reminder that you don't need acreage to create a vibrant ecosystem. Sometimes, all you need is a bit of trial and error, a desire to attract local wildlife and the willingness to just start planting.

'How I Grow' is produced by The Seed Collection Pty Ltd.
Find out more about us here: www.theseedcollection.com.au

A Chat With Kyrra-Leigh

About Kyrra-Leigh

BIO: Kyrra is a backyard flower and veggie grower from regional south-west Victoria. She shares her journey on TikTok, helping others create cut flower gardens at home with simple, honest tips while studying horticulture and learning as she goes.

Kyrras location: South West Victoria

To learn more about Kyrra:

TikTok: @kyrraleigh22

More about this episode:

In this episode of How I Grow, Nat chats with Kyrra-Leigh, a high-intensity disability worker from Southwest Victoria, who has turned her one-acre property into a prolific cut flower and vegetable haven. Kyrra shares how her obsession with plants was ignited, from growing up on her family hobby farm and bonding with her mother over a veggie patch to learning how to propagate carnations by her great-grandmother’s side. Whether she is planting her dahlias or collecting her favourite bush beans, she always lets Mother Nature take the lead. Kyrra’s story is an inspiring look at a "no-fuss," realistic approach to growing.

Beyond the garden beds, Kyrra speaks from the heart about how digging in the dirt serves as her essential "grounding" ritual after long, demanding overnight shifts. She describes the therapeutic magic of hearing the bees and feeling the soil between her hands, a process that centres her when her professional life is dedicated to giving everything to others. Currently studying a Certificate III in Horticulture, she balances technical plant ID and propagation skills with a refreshingly realistic perspective. She proudly shares her "stuff ups" and DIY fixes, it’s a candid reminder that whether you have a massive paddock or just a few pots on a balcony, gardening is about the joy of giving it a go and the peace found amongst the garden beds.

'How I Grow' is produced by The Seed Collection Pty Ltd.
Find out more about us here: www.theseedcollection.com.au

A Chat with Sam from Avonlea Cottage Gardens

BIO: Sam is a keen gardener, mum of five, and the creator behind Avonlea Cottage Gardens. She shares her journey of transforming bare grass into a whimsical cottage garden, inspiring others online to create beautiful, life-filled gardens of their own.

Sam's location: South East Queensland, VIC

To learn more about Sam:
Instagram: @avonlea_cottage_garden
TikTok: @avonlea_cottage_gardens

More about this episode:

In this episode of How I Grow, Nat chats with Sam, the creator behind Avonlea Cottage Gardens. Sam shares how her gardening journey began as a beautiful way to give her five children the same fond memories of picking fresh food that she had growing up. What started as a blank slate of grass and gum trees has blossomed into a stunning, sanctuary like cottage garden in the South East Region of Queensland. She also opens up about the peaceful joys of creating a space that both nurtures her family and serves as a personal creative outlet.

Along with the wins, Sam keeps it relatably real about the natural ups and downs of gardening, from unpredictable weather to learning through simple trial and error. She also shares the heartwarming story behind her custom timber greenhouse, which she built using reclaimed windows and the helpful guidance of a retired builder. Looking forward, Sam talks about her shift toward relaxed, low maintenance planting and her dreamy plans to build a life sized fairy garden for her children. It’s an inspiring conversation for anyone looking to add a little more magic to their own backyard!

'How I Grow' is produced by The Seed Collection Pty Ltd.
Find out more about us here: www.theseedcollection.com.au