Blossoming North East business sets out to make the benefits of gardening accessible to residents

Having launched in 2023 the business has quickly laid its roots and has already started seeing some impressive growth.

The brains behind the business are Emma Bromley and Jacob Wood, 25-year-old renters who work full time but opted to launch Everywhere Garden as a passion project in their spare time. The business was born out of their own frustrations about gardening restrictions for urban renters.

Emma says: “We’re gardeners, but we're also renters within the city, and we don't have a big garden. We've got a tiny concrete yard, which we’ve turned into a garden. We found that process really difficult. As renters, you do all this work, then you have to move. We wanted a product that was portable and easy to use.

Jacob adds: “We’ve been trying to get an allotment in Newcastle and it's a four-year waiting list. For renters like us – who could theoretically move to a completely different city – that's not practical. But having a little pot that sticks to your window offers freedom, because you can go anywhere and it can move with you.”

The UK suffers from a lack of green space, with 92% of Brits said to live in urban areas by 2030. Everywhere Garden aims to tackle that, making the mental health and environmental benefits of growing plants more accessible.

As part of their efforts to grow their brand, Emma and Jacob learned of TEDCO through its partnership with Newcastle University, and later enrolled on TEDCO Business Support’s Digital Track leadership and marketing programmes, funded by the North of Tyne Combined Authority as part of their Digital Pipeline programme.

Offered exclusively to businesses based in North Tyneside, Newcastle and Northumberland, the short course consists of a combination of in-person and online workshops.

Emma says: “We're business novices, and the team running Digital Track gave us that sense of security. They gave us big ideas and let us ask the stupid questions.”

Jacob continues: “Meeting other people at the courses who were in the same boat as us was invaluable. Starting your own business is a learning experience, so seeing you’re not alone is really encouraging.”

TEDCO Business Advisor, Jeff Thompson, who is part of the Digital Track delivery team, says: “Digital Track is designed to help business owners like Emma and Jacob find their feet and gain the confidence to embrace the tools available to them. The added ability to network with other entrepreneurs has already proved itself to be productive for both of them.

"I’m delighted the courses have been of benefit to them and that they’ll be looking to utilise what they’ve learned as their business continues to grow.”