I'm Rebecca Hildebrand, the founder of Aquila Hills. I'm a scientist with a background in fire ecology, and I've had a long-standing fascination with Australian native plants, especially growing them from seed.
It started with a seed.
My love of seeds began during my PhD in fire ecology.
I was working in the mallee, collecting seeds from across a climate gradient and bringing them back to run germination experiments in controlled-environment chambers. For months on end, I watched them closely — recording when they germinated, how they responded, what changed from one treatment to the next.
There was something about it that I loved.
The tiny changes. The anticipation of seeing what would emerge. And the idea that inside something as small and seemingly simple as a seed was an entire plant, carrying its own story of adaptation and survival.
Years later, that fascination with seeds never really left me.
I've spent years dreaming about establishing a native nursery and flower farm — growing Australian natives from seed, watching them develop, and eventually filling a garden with flowers that I'd grown myself.
But with two little kids and working part time, I realised that my grand plans for a nursery weren't exactly compatible with my reality right now. Most days, I could barely manage to look after more than one species at a time on my windowsill.
And that's when the idea for Aquila Hills Australian Natives began to take shape.
What if I just start with one?
Instead of trying to grow everything, I started thinking about what it would look like to slow down and really get to know one species at a time.
To grow it from seed.
To observe and care for it.
To experiment.
To learn about where it comes from, what makes it tick, how it interacts with its environment and the creatures around it.
And then to share that experience with other people.
That became the foundation of Aquila Hills Australian Natives.
Grow • Learn • Connect
Aquila Hills is about more than growing native plants.
It's about slowing down and getting curious.
Each month, we explore a different Australian native species through our Monthly Discovery Kits — giving you the opportunity to grow something from seed while discovering the science, ecology and natural history behind it.
GROW
Start with a seed and experience the magic of watching and waiting for a little sprout to emerge and grow.
LEARN
Dive into the science, ecology and adaptations that make each species uniquely Australian.
CONNECT
Look closer and build a deeper connection with native plants, the landscapes they belong to, and the natural world around us.
A slower way to discover Australian plants
I don't think you need a huge garden, a green thumb or endless spare time to connect with Australian plants.
Sometimes it can start with a small packet of seeds on a windowsill.
A few pots.
A notebook.
A little experiment.
And the willingness to look closely.
That's the aim of Aquila Hills — to foster the kind of curiosity that makes you notice the first tiny shoot emerging from the soil, wonder why a seed germinated when it did, or stop and look twice at a wildflower you've walked past a hundred times.
Because the more we know about the plants around us, the more connected we become to them and the places they come from. And the more we understand what's at risk if we don't conserve and protect our natural world.
And for me, it all comes back to that tiny starting point - the seed.
Plant the seed & grow with us
Aquila Hills Australian Natives
Grow • Learn • Connect