about Me
Nice to Meet Ya!
30+ Years In the Garden and on the Farm
I grew up on a farm in the Netherlands, surrounded by tulips, cabbage, and potatoes. It sparked a lifelong passion for growing. I love to grow anything, from a common carrot to the weird and wonderful. Here at Aussie Roots, I’d like to:
Elle Meager
OWNER
Aussie Roots Is where I share my gardening adventures, the ups and downs, and everything in between.
Gardening has always been more than just a hobby for me.
It’s my life! It’s a way to connect with nature, to find peace, and to challenge myself. I grew up on a farm and love being in nature, watching things grow.
My goal is to turn my garden into an edible paradise where I can stroll around and pick fresh fruits, nuts, vegetables, and medicinal herbs to keep my family healthy. I aim to create a space where every meal comes straight from our backyard, offering nourishment and a connection to nature.
My kids are homeschooled and raised on our farm, learning life’s lessons in our garden. My aim is to foster in them a lasting appreciation for nature. I believe it’s essential to teach them the origins of food and the rewards of eating healthy, homegrown produce, hoping this knowledge enriches their lives, and future generations.
Passion Turned Into Business
As soon as I was old enough, I travelled the world and worked on organic and biodynamic farms in Spain, Germany, and Australia. That experience and my love for plants and gardening resulted in a nice little company called Cactus Island, where my husband and I sold succulents and cacti online.
Soon, I realized my passion lies more with tropical and edible plants, and Lush Plants Nursery was born. We operated the plant nursery for over 15 years out west from Bundaberg an sold 1000s of plants across Australia. The climate there came with its own challenges – drought being a major one!
Time to Move On
About five years ago, we decided to sell the nursery to move to one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever been to – the Pioneer Valley, west of Mackay in Queensland. We were over the drought and trying to grow plants in gravel and rocks!
The Pioneer Valley receives around 2200mm of rain annually and our property has incredible soil. I now grow over 50 different fruit trees, a bunch of annual and perennial vegetables, and 100s of tropical and native plants.
The property is turning into paradise!
Down to Earth Gardening
I have always loved self-sufficiency and permaculture, and became a qualified Permaculture Designer with Tom Kendall via the Permaculture Research Institute in 2020. I’ve since designed and implemented permaculture elements at local gardens, schools, restaurants, and our own farm, of course!
I also thoroughly enjoyed Milkwood’s Organic Vegetable Gardener course and gained my certificate in 2023.
I believe in a hands-on, down-to-earth approach to garden. Whether it’s experimenting with rare perennials and edibles, aeroponics (like my Airgarden adventure!), or sticking to the more traditional methods, I’m all about trying, failing, and trying again.
You have to have a go! A garden is all about experimentation. Find out what works best for you and your climate, and have fun doing it.
