HOMEGROWN
Volume One: Chloe Hill
Introducing Homegrown, our newest Journal series showcasing growers and makers in their favourite spaces. Creative expression comes in a multitude of forms, and through Homegrown, we explore the role that gardening, plants and the natural world play in the lives of some very special people.
First in the garden is Chloe Hill, documenting her flourishing summer blooms in New Zealand. With dahlias, gladiolus and salvias, Chloe approaches her flower planting with the same sense of play that she brings to her styling and photography work. An utter delight in colour, here we’re encouraged to ‘enjoy the chaos’ of the garden, and perhaps of life.
Tell us about your garden. What does it mean to you?
My garden is a magical place that is full of colour and surprises. Although it’s colourful and chaotic it represents peace for me, I always come away from it feeling calmer. That’s the beauty of nature.
How did your relationship with gardening begin? Was there a particular moment that sparked it?
My Grandma and my Mum have always been big on gardening and I never paid much attention; I didn’t ever think it was something I was into. But since I was a child I had an idea tucked away that if I ever had a property with a lawn I would transform it into a wild space of flowers. So when we moved here I was inspired, with no know-how but heaps of enthusiasm. After over ten years living in tiny apartments in Sydney, having all this space was a revelation.
Where do you find inspiration for what you grow or create?
It’s a lot like getting dressed for me, I gravitate towards anything that makes me smile. Anywhere I go I take photos of plants I love, my phone is filled with screenshots of other peoples gardens I’ve spotted on instagram. Google lens is amazing because I can look up anything I’ve taken a snap of. British gardeners are great to follow as they mix and match and use bold colours. Alfie from Burnt Fen Flowers and Sean Anthony Pritchard are two gardeners I love.
What small moments in the garden bring you the most joy?
Right now it’s the butterflies and bees, at any one moment I can count almost a hundred in my front garden. That’s so special because they are such a huge part of why I do what I do. I also love relaxing in the hammock in the backyard on a sunny afternoon, eating apples from our trees and watching birds fly overhead. Being in nature is so calming and restorative.
What is your approach to arranging flowers at home?
I never have a plan or follow any rules, again it is so similar to how I approach fashion. I just follow my intuition, picking any flower that is inspiring me. Then finding other textures and colours that I think would look sweet together. Sometimes it’s as simple as putting one statement bloom in a vase. Other times I will take a bucket out and pick an armful of flowers in bloom and throw them together in chaotic colourful combinations. I love flowers that can hold a vase on their own, roses that have multiple blooms on one stem, dinner plate dahlias, and gladiolus.
What do you find most challenging in your garden?
We have heavy clay soil in the valley I live in, so no dig methods really don’t work. I’ve really had to go hard on making home compost, collecting neighbours grass clippings and leaves and lots of visits to the local stable to collect horse poop so I can build up compost piles. Home made compost has transformed the soil.
If someone was starting their first garden today, what would you tell them?
Start small and lead with what inspires you the most. A lot of people immediately go to growing vegetables, which can be so rewarding but also take a lot of work. Flowers are so much less pressure and bring so much joy. Something simple like growing cosmos from seed in spring and summer, or scabiosa in autumn. Or planting perennial flowers (plants that live more than one season) like gaura, achillea or salvia. Don’t strive for perfection, enjoy the chaos.
