In conversation with – Lucy Hutchings

Spring has sprung so what better time to chat chickens and how to grow great veg with fashion designer turned edible garden extraordinaire Lucy Hutchings, who went from designing for the likes of Rihanna and Kylie Minogue to running a gardening account on Instagram boasting 167,000 followers.

On top of that, Lucy keeps chickens, ducks, geese, goats, bees, a dog, cats, budgies and a giant tortoise! We’re already exhausted...

Fashion designing for the stars sounds like a dream job! What changed?

“It sounded like a dream job but I think I was not the best fit for the fashion industry. I grew up in the Suffolk countryside so I never felt completely myself.

“I took a moment to reflect and decided I was not going to do it anymore because I got to the point where this was not making me happy. At the same time, I have always grown some edible plants not really knowing what I was doing for a long time. I always tried to have a few bits and pieces that I could eat with mixed levels of success.”

So how did you begin to grow your gardening venture?

“I had a break during which I had two children and then started to get involved with the growing side of things. I was going through a stressful time and needed something fresh and new that was all mine and that would make me happy.

I started the Instagram account at the same time but with no agenda. I did not expect it to grow in popularity but, when it did, I was so happy and loved experimenting with things.”