From Seed To Sunflowers

Emily Cupit from Derbyshire was given some seed packets during lockdown last year and it started a growing passion that she now shares on social media

- Emily Cupit

How long have you been growing your own and what sparked your interest?

I’ve been helping out with gardening for as long as I remember. I only ever did little jobs though like weeding and carrying the garden waste away (I wish I still had the enthusiasm for these tasks that I did back then). However, last year when the pandemic hit the world and we were put into lockdown, I was left at home with nothing to do. We had some beautiful sunny weather, so I decided to get outside and clean the greenhouse. My love for gardening developed when we were given some seed packets free with our food shopping; watching the seeds germinate and grow sparked my interest to learn more.

What prompted you to share your experiences on Instagram? Have you found it useful?

Growing up around social media, it was natural to share my new-found love of growing veg on Instagram. I’ve had a photography account for years, but I wanted to start fresh and follow like-minded people. Immediately I was followed by some lovely gardeners who shared their knowledge and my account grew from there. The gardening community on Instagram is so helpful and supportive. For example, when first planting out my precious seedlings, they were savaged by the slugs and snails, so I had to start all over again. The community offered really useful tips to help keep them away. For any new gardeners wondering, I’ve tried pretty much every method and the only one that has worked for me is natural and organic slug pellets (of course checking they’re safe for other wildlife).

Do you grow veg in your Derbyshire garden or do you have an allotment?