Brian and Kaylene Chapman from Aussie Gardener are on a mission to educate and empower vegie growers both new and experienced.
Far more than an online gardening shop, Brian and Kaylene Chapman’s Aussie Gardener store website is building a community for both new and experienced gardeners in order to get as many people growing food at home as they can.
With a broad customer base harking from right around Australia and an existing platform in the form of their website, Brian and Kaylene could see the benefit of creating a space where their knowledgeable and like-minded clientele could connect with one another and share ideas and experiences.
It was the noise and distractions associated with traditional social media channels that inspired Brian and Kaylene to introduce the Aussie Gardener Community section of their website.
“We had had enough of Facebook telling us what we wanted to see,”’ Kaylene says. “We wanted a place that would be welcoming for gardeners at all stages.”
Growing green thumb connections
According to Brian, the community has gained over 6,000 members in the space of just 12 months.
“We’re very proud of that,” he says. “It’s a place where people can get inspired, make friends, take up a challenge and learn something new.”
“And just like traditional social media channels, members are encouraged to post what they’re up to in the garden, draw from the experience of the membership if somebody hits a stumbling block, and share what they’ve learnt to help others solve similar issues.”
Have a look around
Unlike many other online platforms, you can have a look around the portal before you sign up. And if you decide you like what you see, a name and an email address is all that’s required to get up and running.
“Spend five minutes in our community and you’ll feel happy, inspired and supported,” says Brian.
“It’s about passing on knowledge to a new generation of gardeners. Everyday there’s posts by our members showing the beautiful produce they’ve grown, innovations they are trialling, problems they’re having in their garden or just anecdotes and trips down memory lane about gardening.”
“Our members have a wealth of knowledge between them and we value the support and advice they give each other.”
Tried and tested
As well as the growing online community, Aussie Gardener offers a wide range of products, from tools and gadgets, watering and irrigation, canvas tarps, plant food and protective gear, through to pest deterrents, wildlife-safe netting and fruit bags. And Brian says the team has tested every single product they sell.
“Buying online always carries an element of risk so we want our customers to be confident that if they buy it from us, it’s going to be good”, he says. “We have earned our customers’ trust and plan to keep it’.”
“Some of our more popular products include our PestFree Covers to keep pests off vegies without using harmful pesticides, GeoFelt planter bags for people who want to grow vegies in pots or have limited space in their garden/balcony, and Potato Bags to grow potatoes in and gain easy access to harvest them,” Brian reveals.
Good quality customer service is equally important to Brian and Kaylene.
“We value our customers and have many loyal, returning customers,” says Brian. “We endeavour to give our customers a great experience, from ordering, receiving their purchases and support afterwards if needed. We have created many instructional videos about our products so customers can see them in action and know how to use them and why they’re so good.”
3 tips for starting your vegie patch
We asked Brian what his top three pieces of advice for people just starting out on their vegie growing journey.
- “Get started and give it a go! You’ll have great successes and epic failures but it’s all part of being a gardener. The first time you eat something you’ve managed to grow yourself is just so satisfying and rewarding. What are you waiting for? Go sow some carrot seeds, plant some potatoes or make some compost!”
- “Keep it simple to start with. Think about what vegies you buy from the supermarket the most and grow what you like to eat. Once you’ve got the hang of growing a few things you can expand your patch, before you know it you’ll be growing a wide range of vegies. As a beginner, it’s probably easiest to plant seedlings to start with. As you gain more experience, sowing from seed will save you money in the long run.”
- “Give yourself the knowledge to be a successful veggie grower. Aussie Gardener has created vegie growing classes which will guide and teach you how to set up your vegie patch or how to grow in containers, if you only have a small space to grow in. Our aim is to get as many people as possible growing their own vegies at home; our online classes are free, simple and fun. And don’t forget to check out our Community, where you can ask questions, share successes and chat to other gardeners.”
Upsides to growing your own veggies
You’d be hard-pressed not to recognise the challenges many households are facing right now due to the cost-of-living crisis. Thankfully, growing your own vegies is one way to combat the rising cost of food.
“To grow your own vegies you really only need a few things,” says Brian. “Soil (with homemade compost added), seeds, water and sunlight. It’s not expensive to set up a growing area at home.”
“Once you’ve mastered some basic vegie growing skills you’ll be able to save so much money on buying vegies from the supermarket and of course home-grown tastes so much better too,” says Brian.
“Save money by saving seed from your vegies to sow again next year – it’s free! If you’ve got an abundance of produce, why not see if there’s a local collective or online group where you can swap produce with other gardeners? If not, set one up!”
