Meet Joanne Diver, Founder & Managing Director of The Backyard Garden Enthusiast in West Albury, NSW. Joanne is a micro seed farmer who cultivates Australian native flowers and grasses in an effort to promote wildlife conservation and connect people with nature. She was named a finalist in the 2023 Visa She’s Next small business awards.
Digging deep for the right idea
Like many entrepreneurs, Joanne had only questions at first.
“I started my business in 2018 when I was at a crossroad of knowing what I wanted to do with my life.
I knew I wanted to be outside and in the garden.
“After sorting through many ideas, I worked out that I love seeds, have always collected seeds, so why not grow seeds?
“Australia’s native grasslands are disappearing due to urban expansion and agricultural practices,” she explains.
“This makes our gardens all the more important in providing food and nesting resources for wildlife,” notes Joanne. “It also provides a corridor for pollinators, birds and animals to travel through our urban landscapes.”
Step one: test your idea
It was while selling Christmas wreaths that she hit upon the idea behind Backyard Garden Enthusiast.
“I had some packets of seed that I included in my market stall that just flew off the shelf,” she recalls. “So I thought ‘this might be it.’”
“Firstly I planted my favourite flowers that suited the site. So that included Australian native Billy Buttons and a few exotics like Sweet Peas.
Step two: ask for business help
“I joined a business network, called Global Sisters -- a free program for women in business that offers training, mentorship and networking. They helped develop my business model and continue to do so.”
Related: Would a business incubator be right for you?
Step three: adapt as you go
“Autumn is my main season for sales, with many Australian native seeds and grasses sown at this time,” says Joanne. “Each season is different, with climate change impacting growing conditions, and some years being more successful than others.
So along with other farmers, I have to adapt and change to suit conditions.
“I now grow, handpick and package a dozen varieties of the smaller flowering native plants that you would see in an Australian native grassland. I also sell seeds for some lovely daisies from Western Australia.”
In addition, Joanne has more in seeds in trials.
Tools for the digital garden
Already an ace with hoes and trowels, Joanne had to learn to wield a whole new set of tools.
Once COVID-19 hit, she realised she’d need a website with e-commerce capability so she could continue selling her products. She chose GoDaddy’s Online Store for the job.
"My website makes my business a legitimate venture, creating trust in what I do.
“It also provides the means to sell my products online. It does everything -- from creating product descriptions for me to handling the exchange of funds and showing me which products are most popular.”
Although she’s most at home in the garden, Joanne finds Online Store easy enough to manage herself. “I like the fact that I can adjust product profiles at any time of the day or night.
If “Gardening Australia” features a certain plant, I can quickly move it front and centre on my website.
“When people go searching for seeds of that particular plant, they can find it more easily.” Joanne says she doesn’t even need to watch every episode to know what it featured because she gets a flurry of orders in for that particular seed.
“I love it when that happens.”
“My customers view my business with credibility because of my website -- they know who I am, where I’m from and what I do.”
When asked if she ever thought her business might fail, Joanne replies, “COVID certainly threw a spanner in the works, particularly with many garden events being cancelled -- some for three years in a row. This encouraged me to explore online sales avenues and this is where I found GoDaddy.”
Advice for budding seed growers
“A warming climate and the provenance of Australian native seeds is something that you have to consider, along with who your customer is,” says Joanne.
Know who is most likely to buy from you
“Is your customer a catchment management authority? If so, how often do they buy seed and from whom?
“Sometimes government procurement policies can affect the provenance guidelines. This can dictate which businesses they are allowed to purchase seeds from.
“Before I knew my customer base, I harvested, cleaned and processed too much seed,” says Joanne. “Now I only clean/process the seed as needed. It saves me a lot of time.”
Diversify your seeds
“We need to begin sowing seeds from further afield so that our native plants and seeds can adapt to a warming environment. Climate change can and does lead to more wildfires. Eventually these huge areas of land will require climate-adapted seeds for restoration.
It is not enough to simply plant trees and shrubs.
“The most diverse layer in our ecosystem is the ground layer. So the smaller flowering plants and grasses are hugely important for the survival of our insects, birds, animals and reptiles.”
Do it for love
“I don’t think I’ll become a millionaire,” laughs Joanne.
“However I’m keen to encourage gardeners to plant Australian native seeds to not only provide food and nesting resources for local wildlife, but also for pollinators, birds and animals passing through.
“It’s a passion I’d like to spread, seed by seed!”
Keep it simple
Looking back, there are a few things Joanne says she’d do differently. “One thing that I’d wish I’d known is to keep it simple,” she advises. “Don’t get carried away with a new native flower, grass or seed.
“I’m still learning.”
Closing words of wisdom
“We often start a business with the idea of making money, but I’ve learnt that there are so many other advantages of running your own business.
For instance, my business is operated with my ethics and values in mind and I don’t have to fit in with any government agenda or politics. I am my own boss and I meet so many people who are innovative and just want to make a difference for our world.”
Thanks for sharing your startup story with us Joanne! To learn more about what’s growing at The Backyard Garden Enthusiast, scroll through Joanne’s Instagram or Facebook feeds.
