Our Story
Our Story
Urban Bounty started with Karen Titulaer, whose happy place is in her garden. Karen wanted to make it easy for everyone to create an edible garden, no matter how small their outdoor space, or how much gardening experience they have. She was soon joined by Nadia, who has brought a passion for garden design and fresh food to the business.
Karen's Story
My earliest connection with edibles was as a child when homegrown produce was sometimes the only food on the table, as my mum struggled as a solo parent.
Later, travelling in Thailand my eyes were opened to how edibles could also be beautiful. On a Thai cooking course the instructor showed us how the lush tropical gardens we passed on the way to the market also feed the families who tended them. That sowed the seed for me of the concept of edible gardens that were also visually appealing.
After 8 years of living in Scotland when half the year was spent planning a garden that was under snow or frost, only to burst into life in spring I’m now settled in Auckland where the variety of what we can grow makes me feel like a child in a sweet shop! Gardening for me now is about fun, family, creativity and connections.
I hope you also enjoy your gardening journey, you’ll never be learning alone as part of the Urban Bounty community.
Nadia's Story
Creating a beautiful garden, and sharing it with others gives me a real buzz. My garden isn't large, and it is anything but 'cookie cutter', but I love my tropical slice of paradise in the city. I also love cooking up a storm and sharing the (mixed!) results with family and friends. I'm no Masterchef, but I love imagining how ingredients from my garden will taste in the latest dish I am concocting.
I grew up in a family that 'grew their own' to supplement meals and make them go a long way. It was a no brainer to plant edibles in my own garden. But having a small garden is a bit different to the quarter acre section that I grew up on, so I've had to think differently about how to incorporate them. Our outdoor space is at a premium, so I want a garden that looks as good as it tastes.
When Karen asked me to join Urban Bounty, I saw a fantastic opportunity to carve a new path for myself and do something more with my passion for garden design. I'm super excited about sharing ideas with people like me: city folk who want to supplement the ingredients in their kitchen and reinvent the traditional vege patch at the same time.
Rachel's Story
Rachel is one of the most passionate gardeners we know with great knowledge and experience, so it was a no-brainer to ask her to join Urban
Bounty! She has an amazing country garden full of edibles and unusual plants which she manages in an environmentally friendly way with lots of flowering plants to encourage beneficial insects.
Rachel is a long distance runner, so healthy fresh produce is an important part of maintaining her fitness.
