Meet Luke and Catheryn, the fab couple behind this innovative business in Robertson.
We’ve fallen in love with this gorgeously unique spot Luke and Catheryn have created in Robertson. It really is a little slice of paradise with plenty of spots to stop, relax, listen, wander through all the beautiful plants and gardens, look for something spesh for the home, kitchen or garden….. all tucked away on the outskirts of Robertson village.
So, we caught up with the dynamic team behind Native Grace to find out more about why they took this passion project on.
1 // So, let’s start with you guys! How did you end up opening your own business in the Highlands? Is it something you always wanted to do, or fell [happily] into?
Luke :: Owning a nursery was always the dream. I had worked in a nursery for 20 years and had often dreamt of starting my own retail native nursery. In 2019, I started looking for a way to make that happen.
I knew I needed enough land that was on town water and had protection from the elements. It seemed like it was completely out of reach. I believed at that time there was nothing in the Highlands or on the coast that ticked those boxes.
But one day I realised that every day on my drive to work, I was driving past the perfect location – the former Robertson Nursery. It was on town water, was sheltered from the elements and had been vacant for at least ten years.
2 // What sort of products do you sell? And what’s your bestseller?
Luke :: We’re a native nursery. We specialise in natives that are suited to the Southern Highlands and coastal areas.
We also keep a range of edible bush tucker plants, as there is a real move towards more sustainable living and living from the land, embracing Australia’s First Nations traditional food.
In our shop we have some great products that have been carefully selected. Our focus is to only keep products that celebrate Australian flora and fauna.
Catheryn :: In the shop our bestsellers would have to be our books. We keep a great range of books that focus on our First Nations and how they cared for the land. We have books on native plants, gardens, bush food and native birds and bees. It shows that people are becoming more aware of how important a connection to the land is.
In the nursery we joke if it’s in flower it will sell. And that really is the case which is great as our whole ethos is we want people to fall in love with native plants.
3 // What makes the customer experience at Native Grace so unique?
Luke :: When people enter the nursery we want them to feel like they have walked into a beautiful secret garden. Your eyes sweep across the plants as they blend into the beautiful surrounds of the established trees from the previous Robertson Nursery.
Our main priority is plant hygiene. All the plants are labelled and easily accessible. We have a nature play area for children to explore, grassy areas to sit and enjoy the sound of the birds that have made the nursery their home.
We want people to feel like they can come to the nursery and linger and escape the hustle and bustle. Robertson’s own little sanctuary just outside of town.
4 // Tell us what you love love love about your business and why you enjoy the world of retail so much?
Catheryn :: There isn’t one thing about the nursery we don’t love. We’re so proud of all the work that went into it. We’re open seven days a week, and to us it doesn’t feel like work. There really is no other place we would want to be.
Luke and I always had great plans for the nursery. Seeing it actually happen is what we love love love about our business. Luke had a vision of how he wanted the nursery to look and feel, and I always knew how I wanted the shop to look and the experience I wanted our customers to have.
In retail you meet so many people from all different walks of life and there is never a dull moment. When our customers tell us how great the nursery is, how healthy the plants are we know we’re on the right path, and that makes us love our gorgeous nursery even more.
5 // What’s your favourite item in store right now? Have you bought one for yourself??
Catheryn :: My favourite product at the moment is the Wattleseed from Kakadu Plum Co. Kakadu Plum Co. is a social enterprise that celebrates indigenous culture and traditional Australian bush foods. Their wattleseed tastes and smells a little like roasted coffee with a touch of chocolate and hazelnut, and it’s delicious!
I sprinkle it on my smoothies and also use it in soups. It blends so well with sweet and savoury and is a really good source of protein, zinc and magnesium. I go through jars of this, and have found my daughter eating it with a spoon from the jar – I think no further explanation is needed!
Luke :: For me, it’s the Philotheca winter rouge. It’s currently coming into flower right now, and they have a gorgeous pink bud on them that is taking over the plant. Such a stunning plant in any garden and it’s always a popular plant here in the Highlands and on the coast.
6 // What do you love about living and working in the Highlands?
Luke :: We love the seasonal aspect of the Highlands. It was just beautiful watching the nursery go through the seasons. We started work on the nursery in July 2020, so we really have seen Native Grace bloom across all seasons.
Catheryn :: We escape the Highlands of an evening as we live in Kiama, so we feel very lucky to have two beautiful locations to spend our time.
Native Grace is a very special Australian native plant nursery, a dynamic garden design studio and beautiful spot to relax in the village of Robertson. You’ll find plants for sale, interesting things to buy, good coffee, distractions for children, water bowls for doggos and free wifi! Find out more here.
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