Time Out With ... Eddie Mordue of Traditional Garden Growers

Gardening more sustainably is at the forefront of every gardener's mind, and I am always on the search for products that can replace traditional chemicals and plastics. I was thrilled when I discovered Traditional Garden Growers on Instagram and immediately got in touch with its founder, Eddie Mordue.

Traditional Garden Growers is a regenerative farming enterprise run by Eddie and his partner Emilie. In addition to supplying Oxford University with tasty vegetables, the duo have explored ways to convert simple materials such as wool and straw into natural soil improvement products that help gardeners enhance the health of their soil and grow stronger, healthier, more abundant crops. Eddie spared ten minutes to chat with me about his mission to help us all grow more sustainably.

Dan - "Eddie, what motivated you to create the Traditional Garden Growers range of products?"

Eddie - "While studying agriculture and working in the industry, I had something of an epiphany when I saw the extent of chemical use in both horticulture and farming. At the same time, I was very aware of the large quantities of low-grade wool being treated as waste. I wanted to address two real problems I saw in the industry, both of which were personal to me: the over-reliance on synthetic inputs and the lack of value for lower-quality fleece. I created Traditional Garden Growers to offer practical, natural alternatives while giving wool a meaningful use again."

Dan - "How long have the products taken to develop? Have you had any help along the way?"

Eddie - "Development has taken several years and is ongoing. Early work was using wool in its rawest form in our market garden; more recently, I have been supported by my innovation manager, Paul Mayfield and Professor Tom Sizmur from the University of Reading. Together, we secured a UKRI (UK Research and Innovation)-funded project investigating the agronomic benefits of wool, which has helped provide a scientific understanding alongside practical experience."

Dan - "How do you hope this will change the way people look after their gardens?"

Eddie - "I hope it encourages people to recognise how vital resilient soil is to us as humans. Wooltiliser and the rest of our natural range are designed to feed the soil first. We are not just growing plants; we are growing soil, and to us, that is a very important shift in mindset. In the past, gardens thrived without artificial chemicals because farmers and gardeners used natural materials such as wool to improve fertility and structure. Even as recently as our grandparents' generation, poorer-quality fleece was commonly put into compost heaps, bean furrows and planting ridges. We have not discovered something new; earlier generations already understood its value. What we have done is research why wool is so effective for soil and make those benefits accessible to modern gardeners. As growers, we depend entirely on soil for our livelihood. We are also custodians of it, and it's our responsibility to leave it in the best state possible for future generations."

Dan - "Experienced gardeners say 'the secret's in the soil' — why is soil health so vital?"

Eddie - "Soil is a living system rather than simply something to hold plants upright. It regulates water, nutrients and biological activity, all of which determine plant health. When soil is healthy and resilient, plants are more productive and better able to withstand stress."

Dan - "What is it about wool that makes it such a versatile material?"

Eddie - "Wool is naturally rich in nutrients and can hold several times its own weight in water. As it slowly breaks down, it releases both moisture and nutrients into the soil while improving structure and aeration. This combination makes it useful across a wide range of gardening applications."

Dan - "Is it true that lots of wool goes to waste in the UK?"

Eddie - "Yes, particularly lower-grade fleece that is not suitable for textiles. In many cases, it has little or no market value, despite the cost of shearing. Finding practical, beneficial uses for this material is increasingly important for the farming industry."

Dan - "There are now lots of innovative companies using wool to make garden products — do you get together and share ideas?"

Eddie - "There is growing interest in wool as a horticultural material, which is very encouraging. We collaborate with companies such as Wool Pots, and winning the Wool Innovation Award has connected us with a wider community working on wool-based solutions. Sharing ideas and raising awareness benefits the whole sector. I hope to do more in the future."

Dan - "Farming is an all-consuming occupation — do you get any time to grow your own garden?"

Eddie - "I am fortunate that my garden is also my occupation. Alongside sheep, we run a two-acre market garden that supplies vegetables to Oxford University through the Ox Farm to Fork scheme, as well as to local customers throughout the year. It is both a working space and a constant source of learning."

Dan - "You have several four-legged assistants at Traditional Garden Growers - tell us about them!"

Eddie - "Our main assistants are our dogs — Twiggy and Tummy, the two Labradors, and Otto, aka The Pug (pictured below). They follow us around the market garden all day and are very much part of daily life on our veg patch. We are also involved in the GRFFN (Growing Real Food For Nutrition) project, which tests the nutritional value of our produce. This includes blind taste tests, and the dogs are always keen to participate, making them our most enthusiastic critics. There is a video about this on our Instagram page linked to the Ox Farm to Fork scheme."

Dan - "What's next for Traditional Garden Growers?"

Eddie - "Our immediate focus is on increasing availability and continuing to refine the product range. We are also planning further research into wool-based soil improvers that combine wool with other organic materials. The aim is to develop more targeted products tailored to specific plant families and growing situations. Wooltiliser works as an excellent general feed and soil improver, but we are keen to move towards more specialised solutions."