Meet: AJ from Growing Grounds, Rockdale
An interview with AJ from Growing Grounds.
You may have seen her beautiful greenhouse pop up in ABC Gardening Australia, on the Sydney Plant Guys YouTube channel & soon to be featured in the NEW gardening show The Garden Hustle soon to be aired on channel 9. This weekend you'll get a chance to meet her in person.
When did you first know about Collectors?
From the first minute I walked into into the Collectors' Plant Fair I knew I had to make my dream a reality & 5 years later I’m walking in the Collectors' Plant Fair this weekend as a stall hold & small business owner, to say I’m chuffed is an understatement!
Where did the journey begin?
Like most people I had hit rock bottom after moving back to Australia from UK, with just a few bags & my sweet cat Pippa I started fresh, making sure I did only the thing I loved & that brought me joy which was collecting & growing plants! I had so many people tell me I was wasting my time & that no one would be interested in growing plants the way I grew them & that everything I wanted to do had been done before by big box store BUT I didn’t listen And I’m glad I didn’t listen because now I’m growing & showing people all over the world how to grow their beautiful plants to maturity & creating some amazing friendships over my beloved career.
What plants do you love?
My love for plants isn’t capped at just aroids like Monstera, Philodendron & Anthuriums; I love all weird & wonderful plants like Begonias, Nepenthes, Columnea & so many more! But I have to say my all time favourite plants to grow is climbing aroids.
And you’ve created a plant community!
Since embarking on this journey I have made some incredible connections & friendships with Tim from @growvertical & the Growth Technology crew to create and absolute power house of a growing system that anyone can do in their homes & with my like minded bestie Jan @sydneyplantguy we are now showing the world how easy it is to grow huge happy plants absolutely anywhere in the world with the right products.
Where is your nursery located?
My Greenhouse is located in Rockdale Sydney NSW & you can visit by appointment, while you are here you can see how I grow outdoors in the heart of Sydney! All year round, which makes the plants that are available well grown into a more manageable climate than most plants on the market & being cared for in a greenhouse means they are also in extremely happy & healthy.
What are you bringing to the Collectors’ Plant Fair?
Honestly everything haha Monsteras, Philodendrons, Anthuriums & even some hybrids I’ve created & grown myself, I’m just so excited to be able of offer some hard to find plants at some pretty reasonable prices! Half being grown with love by myself & the GG’s volunteers & half from growers around Sydney & in QLD that I’ve been working with for years! Being my first year I just want to bring an array of plants to cater to what everyone loves.
Anything else?
We will have a Aroid Mix Bar! Where you can pick different grades of mediums to create the perfect mix for your plants & props! And of course Growth Technology! We will be officially launching their new product ROOTZONE at the fair 🤩 which paired with Foliage Focus, will make your plants explode with amazing growth! We will have the whole range available for you to purchase & try out too & that’s not all, we have so many more goodies coming too!
What are you looking forward to the most?
Being the first time at the fair I’m just so excited to see all of our beloved customers & all the new people that will no doubt be joining our crazy plant family! I’m so ready to have no voice left after talk about plants all weekend long & I can’t wait to see what other stall holders bring to the fair too so I can add to my own collection! If you want your plants to thrive not just survive come see me AJ, Growing Grounds Australia & Jan, Sydney Plant Guy (Jan Saturday only) at stall 40 where you’ll be able to find everything to grow your plant babies to perfection! We will give you as many plant growing tips as possible to help you on your growing journey!
Collectors' Plant Fair looks forward in delighting your senses once again.
Easy-to-read maps are ready to download. Print one out and bring it with you.
Happy plant hunting folks!
Collectors' Plant Fair
April 15-16, 2023
Hawkesbury Race Club
Clarendon NSW
Remember, if you get stuck finding something or someone, see our Horticulturist at Information, inside the front gate.