The Diggers Club was originally a commercial business established by Penny and Clive Blazey to provide gardeners with all their gardening needs. However preservation and conservation always sat at the core of the Blazey’s vision for Diggers.

Whether this be in preserving historic houses and gardens such as Heronswood (circa 1857) and The Garden of St Erth (circa 1854), planting water-saving gardens, championing heirloom vegetable and flowers seeds in the face of corportisation and advocating for gardeners to take action to reverse the effects of climate change, Diggers has always been much more than a typical garden company.

We are proud to have celebrated many successes over our 40+ year history including the revival of heirloom seeds back in the mid-nineties, welcoming guests to Australia's first organically certified gardens, winning food awards, connecting with experts to advance gardening in Australia, our extensive seed and plant preservation programs and many more.

One of our most significant moments was establishing The Diggers Foundation in 2011, a registered not-for-profit charity, enabling us to evolve from a commercial business to a not-for-profit. Today all proceeds from The Diggers Club including membership, sales and garden entry are distributed to The Diggers Foundation to help deliver our charitable mission. We hope that as you shop, learn and grow with us, you feel good knowing that you're supporting an Australian business that exists for purpose, not profit.

 Pictured right: Clive and Penny Blazey at Heronswood 

What's in a name?

The name ‘Diggers’ was dreamt up by Penny’s sister, Henny Hiscock, and combines the grass-roots concept of a gardener digging the soil with significant moments in history.

In 1649, Gerrard Winstanley (pictured) led an English agrarian group known as the ‘Diggers’, who grew vegetables on common land in Surrey until dispersed by force. They believed land should be made available to the very poor to help combat the unprecedented height of food prices. 

During the Australian gold rush in the 1850s, the ‘Diggers’ united to oppose unfair taxes at the Eureka Stockade. To be called a Digger was to describe a subversive mate who shared the common cause. During WWI, Australian troops also became known as ‘Diggers’ and embodied the qualities of endurance, courage, ingenuity, good humour and mateship. 

40+ years of helping Australian gardeners

1978

A four-page advertisement in the July 1978 issue of Your Garden magazine is hugely successful, offering two free packets of seed with $5 per year memberships. The Diggers Club begins with a mail-order catalogue and a staff of four, with Clive and Penny Blazey despatching seeds from a tin shed in Albert Park. 

1979

Who wants a commonplace garden? Diggers initiates a revival in cottage gardening.

1980

Roses, potted perennials and bulbs are added to the mail-order catalogue.

1983

Clive and Penny Blazey purchase the 31/2 acre historic 1860s property of Heronswood in Dromana, and Diggers evolves from a seed merchant to advanced gardener.

1986

The vegetable parterre is created at Heronswood, inspiring gardeners to create beautiful vegie gardens featuring three seasonal sowings a year of vegetables and companion plants.

1987

Heronswood and The Diggers Club get our first national recognition when they feature our cottage garden in a Vogue Living article titled ‘Seeds of Success’

1988

Heronswood features in the inaugural Victorian Open Garden Scheme.

1990

We pioneer the promotion of drought-tolerant plants to suit Australian conditions

1992

Trials, research, promotion and seed production of heirloom vegetables begins at Heritage Farm, Seymour.

1993

The first tomato taste test is held at Heronswood following a trial of 112 varieties, which leads to the beginning of the heirloom seed movement and partnership with Seed Savers Exchange in USA. Annual Heirloom taste tests are a regular feature at Diggers to this day.

1994

The first Diggers book Guide to Gardening Success is published. In the years since, Diggers has published a further seven books, selling well over 200,000 copies

1996

The Garden of St Erth in Blackwood is purchased from the Garnett family, ensuring their legacy and establishing a Diggers ‘garden in the goldfields’ to feature cool-climate selections.

1998

Monsanto introduces suicide seeds which fires up members from our first editorial transitioning the catalogue to the Diggers ‘magazine’ and our focus on big picture stories connected to gardening. Our mail-order catalogue expands to five magazines per year.

1999

The Australian Vegetable Garden is published using Will Trueman’s scientific trials comparing yield, taste and length of harvest compared to modern/hybrid commercial varieties.

The mini plot which is established at Heronswood, shows gardeners how to grow enough vegetables for a year in a small space. Australian Heat and Cold Zone maps are launched. These maps are continually reviewed and refined and provide vital information to gardeners around Australia.

2000

The Diggers Safe Seed Pledge is created. This features in every Heirloom Seed Annual and can be seen painted on the wall in the Heronswood shop

2001

Diggers plant selections focus on drought-tolerance and 70% of our list are one-drip plants.

2006

The Diggers range introduces heirloom fruit, subtropicals such as avocados, the best tasting strawberries, cane berries and garlic. The Australian Fruit and Vegetable Garden book becomes a best-selling Australian title. 

2007

The Diggers Preservation Garden opens at a 20-acre property in Dromana, housing our production nursery, seed trials and head office. We work to combat climate change through gardening.

2008

The Diggers education program begins. Workshops, masterclasses and special events are regularly held at Diggers locations and major centres around Australia.

2010

Bunnings begins distributing Diggers heirloom vegetable seedlings.

2011

Our third retail store opens in the Adelaide Botanic Garden. The Blazey family gift ownership of The Diggers Club, Heronswood, The Diggers Preservation Garden and The Garden of St Erth to The Diggers Foundation.

2012

In 2012, we received a Food Legend award from the Melbourne Food and Wine Festival. Diggers has received several awards for its work in seed preservation, including a Sustainability award (2014) from The Age, and the Silver Gum award (2017) from the Australian Institute of Horticulture. Heronswood and St Erth gardens receive Australian Organic Certification

2014

Our fourth retail shop opens at Cloudehill in Olinda. Fire destroys the thatched roof cottage at Heronswood, taking with it 20,000 garden slides and a great deal of Diggers history. Following a record-breaking heatwave of four days over 40°C, our summer border thrived. Clive’s seventh book is published

2015

A Diggers seed shop opens at Heritage Nursery in Canberra. By 2018, we’ve published over 210 issues of our magazine!

2017

The 1860s drop-slab cottage is restored and opens as Gallery Heronswood – an introduction to the world of flowers, pollination and seeds. Australian heirloom seeds are featured with the re-introduction of Frank’s Pea (1853 origin), a gift from a Diggers member.