Three Things With Casey Budd: Hedges, Garden Lessons and Gardening With Kids
We’re so excited to introduce Three Things With… — our new monthly series where we invite garden-loving people we admire to share three thoughtful things from their world.
This month, Casey Budd is joining us to share the three things she’s learned, loved and would pass on to another gardener. From favourite hedge plants to keeping a garden feeling neat, and the honest reality of gardening with kids, Casey’s advice is practical, warm and refreshingly real.
Three Favourite Hedge Plants
Casey’s first three things are her favourite hedge plants, and each one brings something a little different to the garden.
1. Teucrium
A plant she loves for the contrast it brings. It is not a hedge she sees everywhere in her area, which gives it a lovely point of difference. At the same time, it still feels timeless and structured, making it a beautiful choice for a garden that wants form without feeling too expected.
2. Boxleaf Privet
Casey describes this hedge as a love-hate relationship. It creates a beautiful dense shape and looks wonderfully polished when freshly trimmed, but it grows quickly and asks for more attention. It is easy to love, but a little harder to maintain.
3. Lilly Pilly
She appreciates how low maintenance they are, thriving with very little fuss. She also loves the little pop of colour they bring when they fruit, adding something playful and seasonal to an otherwise practical hedge.
Three Lessons for Maintaining a Neat Garden
Casey’s next three things are lessons for keeping a garden neat without becoming overwhelmed by it.
1. Mulch properly
Taking the time to lay a generous, even and continuous layer of mulch makes such a difference. It helps suppress weeds, protects the soil and instantly makes a garden bed look tidier and more established.
2. Prioritise progress over perfection
A garden is not going to look magazine-worthy all year round, and that is perfectly okay. For Casey, a neat garden is less about chasing perfection and more about staying gently consistent with the jobs that keep things ticking along.
3. Trim earlier than you think you need to.
Her third lesson is to A little trim at the right time can stop a garden from getting away from you. Casey also believes that using the right tools matters. Gardening should bring joy, not frustration, and good tools can make even the simple jobs feel easier and more satisfying.
Three Tips for Gardening With Kids
Casey’s final three things are for anyone trying to garden with children nearby — something that can be lovely, chaotic and patience-testing all at once.
1. Lower your expectations
Gardening with kids can be unpredictable, and they may not always be as interested as you are. Smaller steps, shorter bursts and a little flexibility can make the experience far more enjoyable for everyone.
2. Make it fun, not productive
The goal does not always have to be finishing a job or ticking something off the list. Sometimes the real win is simply letting them dig, wander, water, explore and enjoy being outside.
3. Let the kids lead sometimes
Casey’s children love little shovels, empty pots, holding seedlings, helping trim plants and laying mulch one handful at a time. It might take longer, but it helps them feel included — and that is often where the best garden memories begin.
Casey’s three things remind us that a beautiful garden does not have to be perfect to be loved. It can be structured and slightly wild, practical and full of charm, shaped with care, and still lived in by children, pets, weather, and time.
Follow Casey at @tarrawingeefarm for more honest, joyful garden inspiration from life on the land.
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