Get your garden started at Grow Ō Tautahi

Do you want to know your annuals from your perennials? Or maybe you’re dreaming of a lush backyard garden but don’t know where to start – then Grow Ō Tautahi’s Beginner Gardening Ambassador Julia Atkinson-Dunn can help.

Julia has built-up a huge social media following exploring an aspect of gardening that isn’t often covered in expert publications – how do I turn a bare patch of lawn into an actual garden? Her Studio Home panel sessions in the Grow Ō Tautahi Terra Viva Marquee bring together garden experts from around the Canterbury to share their expert knowledge, tips and tricks with beginner gardeners.

“I’m excited to be a part of Grow and share my new-to-gardening experiences. The experts who have agreed to take part in our sessions are some of my gardening heroes and I’ll be just as keen any anyone to hear what they have to say.”

The Studio Home Panel sessions include:

• “Ask an Expert”, Friday 20 March, 12.30pm-1.30pm
• “You’ve bought a house with a garden, now what?”, Saturday 21 March, 11.30am-12.30pm
• “From beginner to a backyard of blooms”, Saturday 21 March, 3.30pm-4.30pm

With a background in the design world as one of New Zealand’s first interior bloggers, Julia only recently became interested in gardening when she bought her first home in central Christchurch.

“When we moved into our villa I really had a moment: there was this stacked vege garden and I just remember looking at that and thinking: oh my goodness, I’m going to have to grow something in that so it looks good!”

That moment sparked a new love of gardening that Ju has nourished over the past three years and expanded her busy social media presence to include Studio Home Gardening.

“That concept of moving into your first home and suddenly becoming interested in creating your own garden, but not even knowing where to start, has really resonated with people. There’s a lot of information out there, but nothing really targeted at that very basic level. At Grow, I’ll share my own experience and let the experts offer their own insights for beginner gardeners.

“Once people decide to start gardening and see the results of their growing efforts, it can become compulsive. As soon as I started getting my flowers growing I was completely obsessed. I remember gardening with a head torch one night because I just wanted to be out there!”

Julia admits there have been some hiccups along the way, but says it’s been a fascinating journey that’s had a positive effect on her own wellbeing. She says she jumped at the chance to be part of Grow Ō Tautahi and share her experience with others.

“I think that Grow is incredibly exciting because it offers a really new and interesting take on horticulture and gardening. There truly is something for everyone at the Festival and having your own garden is not a prerequisite to coming along. It will be a springboard for stirring-up ideas and I think that people with no horticultural or gardening experience will come away with something great.”

Julia’s Studio Home panel sessions join a great programme of workshops and talks in the Terra Viva marquee. A full programme will be available soon at www.growotautahi.org.nz/programme

Grow Ō Tautahi, 20-22 March 2020

FREE entry in the Christchurch Botanic Gardens

WEB www.growotautahi.org.nz

FACEBOOK @growotautahi

INSTAGRAM @growotautahi

Studio Home
WEB: www.studiohome.co.nz
INSTAGRAM: @studiohomegardening
FACEBOOK: @studiohomegardening

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