Chloe Brookman lives with her husband and four children formerly in Byron Bay and now Coogee, where she combines parenthood with running Olli Ella, an international lifestyle and home-wares brand she co-owns with sister Olivia. Chloe tells us how gardening and immersion in the ocean are essential to her nature fix.
What’s your favourite thing to do in nature?
I’m sure you hear this one a lot, and I wish I could be more original! But there’s probably a reason why submerging myself in the ocean is such a tonic for my soul. I was surprised to learn that in the amniotic fluid that held us all inside our mothers there are the same salts, and in the same proportions to the ocean!
Describe your connection to nature: what positives does it bring to your life?
I have become an increasingly keen gardener since the birth of our fourth child, three years ago. It started as a dabble in growing our own food, and practising some basic permaculture principles, and now it has flourished into a massive passion. I love learning, making a million mistakes, getting dirty, being productive, taking risks that have few consequences other than failed crops. And I love letting my kids be a part of and witness to this adventure too.
What are your fondest memories of spending time in nature?
Hiking along the coasts with our children.
Many of us are time-poor and might not get out into nature as much as we’d like. Any suggestions for a quick nature-based pick-me up? Something sensory, experiential…?
I have to say gardening, and growing your own food. It doesn't matter if you have a balcony or acreage as long as there's the possibility of getting your hands dirty and reaping abundance, minimising your waste through composting (which in turn helps your plants grow!). I could go on and on and on, but perhaps you'll have me back to talk about this in more depth another time?
