Nestled in the Jervis Bay area is a hidden gem, a half-acre property owned by Robyn Boldy with a beautiful flower farm called The Patch in Bloom. It isn’t your typical flower farm where a monoculture approach to farming takes place, Robyn has a variety of different garden types and sizes to bring a biodiversity to what she does.
“I am pretty much obsessed with growing plants,” says Robyn, whose formal training includes a research-based science degree. She has completed honours and PhD in soil science and mine site rehabilitation.
The mine site rehabilitation took her to Western Cape York where she worked on different strategies to convert a mine that had finished mining into a useful and productive space. Her focus included looking at the needs of Indigenous people of the area and how they could use this space and what was important to them.
“This really opened up my mind and allowed me to see that you can take a really degraded piece of land and turn it into something that has value to people, support the economy and help the needs of people in the local area,” says Robyn about her learning during this time. With the heavy mental load of a research-based job, Robyn decided to step back and move into something more hands-on that she could be equally as passionate about.
Robyn is prolific on YouTube, producing how-to guides on her channel The Nature Patch.
There are more than 300 videos on a variety of topics including composting, how to start a flower farm and the way to harvest and make rosella jam! This is all thoughtfully grouped into different playlists so you can find exactly what you are after and benefit from support for turning your project into a thriving garden.
It was her YouTube channel that helped give Robyn the name, Patch in Bloom, for her market stall and flower sales. Knowing that flowers bring joy to people is something that motivates Robyn. She started growing flowers to offer a local alternative to the many events and occasions that call for flowers on the beautiful South Coast.
“I also live in my grandparents’ house, and my Grandma was in a nursing home so I wanted to grow some beautiful flowers to brighten her room and bring a smile to her face. Growing them in the same patch that my grandparents used for many years always brings me such happiness,” adds Robyn proudly.
“There is a bit of a battle in the garden between flowers and vegetables,” explains Robyn. “Sometimes I have to sacrifice vegetable space for flower space but currently I have a lot of cabbage and broccoli growing.”
Her greatest challenges are always against the elements; swings of temperature and unseasonably higher than average rainfall in the last 12 months meant Robyn has had to be creative with her flowers.
“They can be so finicky with temperature. Flowers can bloom and open up quicker than expected making it difficult to create bouquets. The wind also plays a factor, I am preparing for the Spring season of crop, and the wind dries out the soil making it harder for new plants to establish themselves into the ground.”
Robyn has a hands-on approach to her farming, not using machines to work the soil, rather opting for hand tools. This allows her to inspect the soil and ensure that it is remaining healthy and full of nutrients. She uses as much of her compost materials as possible and worm castings to keep the cycle going. This is the organic approach to gardening and farming that Robyn enjoys. “It can be hard work but it’s very rewarding.”
Something different that Robyn does when arranging her bouquets is the inclusion of some herbs or other vegetables that have flowered and gone to seed. She believes they are equally as pretty and can complement more traditional flowers in a bunch, adding something unique that would otherwise be considered “waste”.
Her garden configuration is very thoughtful and considers the clay-based soil, which means Robyn has to select plants that can stand up to the conditions. Her go-to for this is often native species like grevilleas and melaleucas which look beautiful in her bouquets.
The most astonishing thing about Robyn and these arrangements is that she hasn’t any formal floristry training, she uses he keen eye and some colour theory to create what she feels is beautiful and eye catching – her arrangements look as if she’s had years of experience as a florist. One of her secrets is the use of odd numbers, which she believes creates a focal point in the bouquet to draw the eye.
This year has seen Robyn growing something different – she is expecting a baby boy in November. Robyn has added this journey on the YouTube channel, simultaneously growing her bump and beautiful flowers. I asked if the cabbage patch was in full grow mode at the moment!
Robyn’s partner Scott is a great help with the flower farm and will continue to maintain it while the couple welcome their baby to the world. She anticipates a small amount of flowers will be available, as the family’s demands on their time change in the coming months. If you provide plenty of notice for a bouquet, Robyn will be able to plan ahead and endeavour to help create something beautiful. You can also find a range of botanical bath salts on their website.
