11:07am Monday 11th May 2009
A NEW face that you’ll find peeking out from behind a few interesting plants at your local farmers’ markets this year belongs to former research scientist Catherine Thorpe.
Catherine, along with her parents Marion and Mike, runs Blue Gecko Plants, a garden centre in Eckington, near Pershore. The business started in 2006 and Catherine started attending farmers’ markets just a few months ago.
She said: “We decided we could reach a wider audience and we thought that our herbs and veg plants fitted in to the whole idea of farmers’ markets.”
A few years ago, Catherine, then a research scientist studying plants, decided to have a change of career.
“I wanted to get out of the lab and into the garden – it’s more practical and rewarding.”
Catherine started working in a wholesale nursery in the south of England. Her parents, both lecturers, were living in Eckington when the chance arose to buy an existing nursery in the village.
“I really wanted to run my own business so I roped my parents in and we all run it together. We grow hardy shrubs, perennials, climbers, ornamental trees, herbs, grasses and vegetable plants. My dad grows the veg plants – growing your own veg is a really big thing this year.”
The Thorpe family have 13,000 plants at their nursery.
Catherine said: “We grow plants from seeds or from cuttings. My favourite plants are probably architectural plants, the kind of plants that have interesting shaped leaves and give a structure to your garden, like bamboos, phormium and fatsia. I also like flowering shrubs.”
Blue Gecko Plants will be at the Royal Worcester Porcelain market on June 7.
At this weekend’s market, from 9am until 5pm in Bromsgrove High Street, you will find bedding plants, veg and hanging baskets at the Meadow Days stall.
At next week’s market in Abbey Road, Malvern, you’ll find the Chaddesley Growers and Meadow Days stalls, from 9am until 2pm.
For more information about farmers’ markets, log on to wfmg.co.uk.
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