Following a 20+ year career in the Silicon Valley Biotech Industry, Founder Karen DiDonato was ready for a change. Karen and her family relocated from California to North Carolina in 2019. Eager to indulge her passion for gardening, Karen applied to the N.C. State Master Gardener Program. Her research and speaking engagements as a Master Gardener Volunteer became so fulfilling that in 2022 Karen made a pivot away from full time employment to focus her energies on environmental initiatives such as sustainable gardening. Nurtured By Nature Growers was founded to repurpose local food waste while encouraging families and individuals to grow their own nutritious fruits and vegetables. We are partnered with local grocery stores and the Raleigh Food Bank to collect expired produce not suitable for donation. We then feed all of that nutrition to our hungry Red Wiggler composting worms. The result is 100% pure, nutrient-dense earthworm castings which we use to grow bountiful and resilient fruit trees and berry plants. We propagate fruit varieties that are known to thrive in North Carolina’s hot, humid summers and unpredictable winters. Our fruit trees come in all shapes and sizes with an emphasis on dwarf varieties that flourish in containers and smaller yards.
Supporting all things native and sustainable is in our DNA. As an instinctive complement to our fruit tree business, we offer hand-crafted bee “hotels” to attract and support North Carolina’s native bee populations. Gentle Mason and Leaf-cutter bees are considered natures ‘Super Pollinators’ and because they don’t sting, they are perfect for every backyard. Our hospitable hotels are pre-loaded with 6mm and 8mm natural phragmite reeds (from the Phragmites australis plant) and come in a variety of bee-preferred colors.
Come check out our full inventory line at local events and Farmers’ Markets the or reach out to us directly for special requests or larger orders.
Who We Are
Karen DiDonato
Founder