Content creator, recipe developer and food stylist Rhiannon Baldock has been working in the food and digital marketing space for more than a decade. Coming from a foodie family, Rhi enjoyed being in the kitchen as a child and later pursued a Diploma of Culinary Arts, intending to become a chef. But an accident while she was training resulted in a long hospital stay and a skin graft to her hand, which changed her career trajectory. Inspired by a blog post she wrote about what everyone should know how to cook by the age of 25, Rhi recently brought out her first cookbook and spent last summer working on a garden project.
Was this your first time creating a garden and what motivated you?
I dabbled as a teen, but this is the first proper opportunity I’ve had to establish a wee hobby. I live in a rental, and when I viewed the place and noticed they had two garden beds ready for some TLC, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to rediscover my green thumb. We’ve since learnt from our landlord that his parents took a lot of pride in their garden, so it gives me warm fuzzies to know that I’m able to give love back to it as well.
What did you decide to grow?
I dedicated one of the beds to blooms and focused on a few different dahlia varieties and cosmos, along with sweet peas to climb the arch I placed over the two beds, and pansies early in the season, which make for very pretty dessert garnishes. I planted some other flowers that didn’t take as well, but that’s all part of the process.
Now that I understand the movement of the sun in the garden, I can see why plants did or didn’t thrive. In the other bed, I focused on tomatoes, along with herbs, cucumbers to climb the other side of the arch, carrot and beetroot seedlings (which were pulled early because I didn’t know they needed to be separated to avoid becoming clumped, warped little vegetables) and lettuces. I wanted to plant things I could cook or eat regularly. I had such a cool mix, such as gold dipper, large heirlooms and black cherry tomatoes, or purple/opal basil, which are either hard to find in supermarkets or have a big price tag.
What were some successes and tips?
The dahlias, tomatoes and cucumbers. I had the most beautiful flow of cut flowers in the house and I grew so many veggies to give away. My top tips would be regular feeding with something like seaweed tonic, being ruthless during the beginning stages of flowering and fruiting, cutting plants back (a hard practice, but necessary so that they give back tenfold), and making tending the garden part of your daily routine. Also, find yourself a nice wicker basket to collect your winnings of the day and take a picture of them. I loved looking back at all the photos.
What was your favourite thing to grow?
It’s definitely tomatoes – it’s something my poppa and I share a love for.
What’s a short, foolproof recipe using winter garden produce from your book?
The Sesame Chicken Schnitzel with Green Apple Slaw (page 54). It’s a delicious way to use winter staples like cabbage and apples.
More Than Toast by Rhiannon Baldock is avaliable to buy at Bateman
Read more:
- A horticulturist’s guide to pet-friendly indoor plants
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- 20 questions with Father Rabbit owner Haley Johnson
