My STORY
Hello and Welcome to Curry's Post Carnivores
This is my story of how a humble home-grown carnivorous plant collection became the amazing adventure it is today.
Hi, and thank you so much for dropping by. My name is Lee and I’m the proud, albeit slightly obsessed, owner of Curry’s Post Carnivores, a small, home-based nursery nestled in the beautiful KwaZulu-Natal Midlands.
What started as a curious experiment with just two little plants has grown into a passion I never saw coming, and an adventure I’m now incredibly lucky to share with others.
How it all began…
In 2017, we moved to Curry’s Post and rented a quaint cottage with sweeping dam views and sunrise skies that stole my heart. Country life was bliss…
Except for the flies. 😄
So I thought, why not get a Venus Fly Trap?
In March, I brought home my very first two carnivorous plants, a Venus Fly Trap and a Trumpet Pitcher. I popped them into a glass roasting tray on the kitchen counter and eagerly awaited the demise of those pesky flies!
Being the impatient guy that I am, my collection RAPIDLY expanded, and before long I had a whole countertop full of plants. Of course, like most beginners, I made just about every mistake possible: bad lighting, overwatering, overfeeding… you name it. Many of those early plants didn’t make it, but the seed of an obsession had been planted, and I was way to hooked to give up. 😄
Giving It Another Go… Properly This Time!
A year later, we bought our forever home right next door and lovingly named it A Far Away Place. With rolling hills and endless skies, I was in heaven.
In 2021, I put up a small polytunnel for veggies and decided it was time to give carnivorous plants another go. Armed with my newfound “wisdom” from months and MONTHS of late-night research marathons, reading carnivorous plant books cover to cover, watching countless YouTube videos and eating a rather large slice of humble pie, I bought another batch of plants.
This time, they thrived!
The veggie tunnel was soon pulled down — hey, it’s all about priorities 😄 — and in its place came “The Dead Zone”: a greenhouse filled with toothy traps, sticky lures and towering pitchers. It quickly became my happy place. These days I have to endure comments from my hubby like: “In my next life I’m coming back as a carnivorous plant… At least that way you’ll spend more time with me.” 😄
After a long day at work, walking into The Dead Zone is still one of my favourite ways to escape from the stresses of the day.
One of my proudest early moments was when my Heliamphora (Sun Pitcher) produced its first flower. Heliamphora can be notoriously temperamental little things to grow, so that one little flower felt like a HUGE achievement! It gave me the confidence to dive even deeper, and before long I was propagating plants and growing them from seed.
A Dream Takes Root…
By 2023, my collection had exploded to more than 100 different species and varieties, including some wonderfully unusual and challenging plants. That Christmas, my hubby surprised me with the ultimate gift: he’d registered the domain and designed the logo for Curry’s Post Carnivores.
It was the nudge I needed to finally share my obsession with the world.
After nearly a year of late nights and pestering poor Mark with approximately 100 million website questions — this website being my very first attempt at web design, so I’m extremely proud while Mark is extremely tired 😄, Curry’s Post Carnivores officially launched in September 2024.
And what an adventure it’s been since!
Today, I get to do something I genuinely love: grow these fascinating plants while connecting with some truly amazing people who share the same spark. But one of the best parts is helping someone grow their very first carnivorous plant. Every nervous question, excited photo of a new pitcher or trap, and message telling me “It’s growing!” lets me relive a little of the excitement I felt when I started. It’s a feeling one cannot put in words.
And then came the air plants…
Just when I thought I had enough of a plant obsession, my carnivores went to sleep for winter… And then I discovered Tillandsia. 😄
Their strange shapes, incredible variety and fascinating way of growing snared me like a trout to a lure!
Today, alongside my carnivorous plants, I grow an ever-expanding collection of Air Plants and import unusual Tillandsia varieties from around the world for beginners and serious collectors alike.
More Than Just a Nursery 🌿
Curry’s Post Carnivores is more than just a nursery to me. It’s my passion, my peace, and my way of connecting with other people who get just as excited about weird and wonderful plants as I do.
Whether you’re buying your very first Venus Fly Trap, searching for something unusual to add to your collection, or have somehow developed an Air Plant addiction along the way, I’m so glad you’ve found your way here.
And please, never hesitate to get in touch. Whether you have a question, need some help with one of your plants, or simply want to send me photos of your babies showing off – I genuinely love hearing from you.
From my garden to yours, thank you for popping by. I look forward to getting to know you and your plants!
Happy Growing!
Lee 🌱
