Henley's Rustics is a father and daughter business that's thriving by offering connection through their raised garden beds made from reclaimed materials.
It's not even two years since Jo Henley was visiting her parents in Ungarie and identified that there maybe a market for the reclaimed corrugated iron raised garden beds her dad had made her mum.
Lindsay had been contracted to pull down an old building of bricks and corrugated iron in Ungarie - one with a family connection as it was a store Jo's grandma had worked at decades earlier. Lindsay purchased an old water tank rolling machine and was able to roll the iron into garden bed designs.
Jo, who manages the business, marketing, sales and logistics from Forbes, finds it amazing as well as incredibly heartwarming just how organically this thriving business has developed.
A couple of her friends in Forbes were the first to place an order from a markeplace post, but momentum grew quickly.
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"The phone kept going 'ding ding ding' and all these orders just kept coming through," Jo said. It quickly became evident they needed a business structure for the venture.
"All of a sudden we were setting up systems around how fast it was moving," Jo said.
Now they deliver their products to 80 towns across the Central West, Riverina and the ACT. Lindsay hand makes their products also personally delivers to homes, schools and farms. Sheila, Lindsay’s wife supports Lindsay on deliveries and has been a wonderful support to Jo and Lindsay on their garden bed jounrey.
Starting her own veggie patch with her two young children, Jo quickly realised just how much there was to learn in the garden - garden bed position with the sun, soil preparation, seasonal planting and more. She found a mentor in a landscape consultant named Keith Edwards from Victoria, who was willing to answer her many questions and continues to provide her guidance and support.
“The online gardening community is so supportive and generous with their information and I want to be that support person for other beginners and our customers.”
Now a huge part of her role is sharing videos on social media of what she's doing in her garden, and collaborating with experienced gardeners online or with other businesses producing organic garden products.
"I'm just wanting people to succeed in the garden, to grow veggies, support their wellbeing through gardening and enjoy the gardening experience with their families," Jo said.
Jo has been honoured to be a guest on three podcasts in the last six months discussing Henley’s Rustics and Jo’s gardening journey. Including being featured in gardening newsletters and newspapers.
Ultimately, this isn't just about garden beds, it's about connection and community.
Then there's the sustainability side of the business. While it started with one old building, they're continually finding the supply of old corrugated iron by sourcing falling-down sheds or old shearing sheds on local farms.
“Customers are not just buying a garden bed, they’re buying a piece of history because all this corrugated iron has come from local farms," Jo said.
“Customers love the look of our products: they don’t look brand new and they look rustic with a history."
They've come so far in such a short time and the business keeps evolving.
Last June they launched wicking garden beds that are self-watering, ideal for many of their customers providing freedom from needing to water regularly, including schools needing to manage school holiday periods, or farm families who need to prioritise water efficiency in dry times.
"Dad’s a very clever man and is brilliant at innovating systems," Jo said.
"He’s now has two workers with him at the workshop in Ungarie which is so great to employ two local people in a town of 300."
From a few sheets of old iron to a thriving, community-driven business, Henley's Rustics is supporting people create their dream gardens using their raised garden beds.
