RocketGrowers
Steph Young
I’m very much an outdoorsy person. I love spending time in the garden, at the allotment or at Garden Centres and Open Gardens. I work at a lovely garden nursery (Whitegates Nursery) where I get to release my creative side making beautiful displays for customers as well as looking after all the plants both indoors and out.
I’m a huge animal lover, I have 4 cats, a horse and tropical fish. I’m passionate about looking after nature both at home and on the allotment so I grow organically without using any chemicals or pesticides. I enjoy feeding the garden birds and making sure we have as many nectar-rich flowers as possible for our pollinators.
How did you get into gardening?
When I was 17 I started working at a garden centre. I had no real interest in gardening or growing food at this point as I had never tried it before. It was around the end of March and we had lots of seed potatoes that had long straggly sprouts going in all directions so the boss let us take some home to plant. That evening me and my dad chose a spot in the garden (which would later become the veg garden) and planted those seed potatoes. What I didn’t realise was that by planting those potatoes I also planted a seed in my soul that wanted me to grow even more! And it was from that moment that my growing/gardening journey began.
What is your key focus?
I spend so much of my time doing something gardening related, be it sowing seeds, weeding or planting but it never feels like a chore. It gives me a huge sense of happiness to be pottering with plants, it really connects you with nature. I love watching the journey of plants, sowing that tiny seed, nurturing them until they are big enough to be planted out and then watching them blossom. The fact that I can grow my own food and prepare a whole meal using only home grown ingredients is just incredible!
Why are you working with RocketGro?
The thing I love most about RocketGro is their zero waste approach to creating renewable power. Growing their own crops that are then used to create power, this being used to power the farm, their own vehicles and even the UK! And then the bonus for us gardeners is the wonderful by-product which is used to create the RocketGro composts, mulches and liquid feeds.
By having this perpetual process, I know that what I am using is 100% organic, sustainable and peat-free! This gives me full confidence that the products I am using are doing great things for both my garden and our planet.
I find their approach inspiring and I am excited to be working with the RocketGro team and watching my garden and plot flourish using RocketGro products.
Top tip for a budding gardener
My top piece of advice for new gardeners would be to enjoy the process and not worry when things don’t go to plan. Mother Nature will always have the upper hand and that is ok. Learn to work with the seasons rather than against them.
Grow things that make you happy, flowers that make you smile and food that you’re going to enjoy eating. Get to know your space, where the sun travels and what your soil structure is like, this helps so much when choosing what to grow and where.
Fun Fact…
When I was 23 I was picked to be featured in the Dumfries & Galloway Life Magazine as a Young Gardener. They wrote a two-page feature all about me and my growing journey, where it started, my favourite things to grow, etc. I still have the magazine today and quite enjoy looking through it now and again!
