“Dream big, because you just never know how far you can go.” The Avid Gardener’s blooming success

When Peta Swift and Henrietta Hood took the plunge and launched their own local gardening business they had no idea what was just around the corner. But three years and a global pandemic later and The Avid Gardener is thriving, with seven employees and more work than they can handle

“Three years ago in 2020, right when the pandemic hit, like just that week!” recalls Henrietta of the inauspicious beginnings of their business venture.

“I’d resigned just before the pandemic was announced,” says Peta. “We'd gone into it and then the pandemic hit and we were very nervous!”

“I had just gone through a big life change and had sold my house and sold my guest house, and so I was fully committed to the gardening business, which was nerve-wracking,” continued Henrietta.

Longtime friends and former workmates, Peta and Henrietta decided to go into business together as a way they could better juggle work and have more time for their children. 

“We’d both become single mums and we wanted to have a business that was conducive to being mums… being able to sort of juggle family life as well as bringing in an income,” says Henrietta who is a lifelong gardener and trained horticulturalist. 

“Pete and I have known each other for a long time and I always knew that she absolutely loved gardening and Pete is very organised, which I love… I’m more creative and disorganised, so I really needed Pete.

“So I approached her and said, ‘Hey what do you think?’”

While naturally risk-averse, Peta agreed. And even with the unfortunate timing of launching a business as the world goes into lockdown, she hasn’t looked back

“No, it was actually a perfect time to launch our business,” says Peta, who found that their services were quickly booked out months in advance.

“We didn't think that people would have the money but actually they did and so work just came pouring in,” adds Henrietta, who was always confident the demand was there.

“And it still seems to be the case,” she continued. “We get 25 calls a week at times and people want to be on our waitlist, but now we've just had to say we can't because we've got our families and just trying to juggle it all… we just have to put the brakes on for a little bit, but there's just such a demand – It's amazing!”

Peta and Henrietta have had to stop taking on new clients, even though they now employ seven staff.

“And we need more!” says Henrietta.

The pair are now focusing on their existing clients, while also venturing out with an online store through The Avid Gardener website.

“It's all really good quality gardening tools, seeds, and gardening advice… like fact sheets that are specific to our climate that we've created and then had a graphic designer make into a really nice poster… It's things that we use, or would use, that we think people who love gardening would like,” explains Henrietta.

“We would definitely love to expand a bit more but we've both got children, so my eldest is in year 10 and so things are sort of ramping up, so being able to be there and support our children, that's the biggest priority.

“But we will expand! My motto is dream big, because you just never know how far you can go… and it’s been unbelievably successful. Both of us absolutely love what we do. We're surrounded by beautiful people and we work with nature all the time. It's our passion and we get to do it every day.”