Near Narrabri, in northern NSW, Tilla and Will Winston-Smith’s garden sustains a thriving cut-flower business.
Story + Photos Sue Wallace
A love of flowers seems to be embedded in the genes of Tilla Winston-Smith, who recalls establishing her own small plot in her mother’s garden while growing up on their NSW family property, near Holbrook. But little did she think her passion for flowers would evolve into a thriving country-based business.
“My granny also had a very large garden and loved her flowers so I was introduced to a love of gardening at an early age, but I can’t say my first garden went all that well back then,” Tilla says.
A registered nurse, Tilla married Will Winston-Smith and moved to his family cattle property, Currawidgen, 15km east of Narrabri, northern NSW, where they live with Winnie 13, Molly 12 and Mac 11.
When the children were young, Tilla toyed with the idea of starting some type of business to keep her busy when they all left home. “It was impossible to continue nursing as I had 3 children in 3 years, so I concentrated on the garden, where my mother-in-law had planted lots of hedging and shady trees,” she says.
What started as a hobby growing flowers slowly evolved into her business Tilla Winston Flowers in 2018, selling garden flowers directly to local florists. Tilla completed the Floret Flower Farming Workshop online course and signed up for other helpful courses.
“My goal was to be able to gift bouquets of fresh flowers to my friends on their birthday. I never thought I would one day be selling them wholesale to local florists,” she says.
This story excerpt is from Issue #161
Outback Magazine: June/July 2025
