Nicole Richie Opens Up About Her Unlikely Passion For Gardening

Nicole Richie’s has revealed her unlikely passion for gardening in a new fashion shoot photographed in the backyard of her own Los Angeles home.

The shoot and its accompanying story, which is a collaboration between Paper magazine and popular fashion blog The Coveteur, highlight Ms Richie's agricultural pursuits – including a fruit garden, chicken coop, and turtle pond.

It also showcases Ms Richie’s whimsical locks with a braided pompadour hairstyle - marking the hue's first major feature since its March 3rd unveiling.

Ms Richie says of her at-home, outdoor activities: ‘I wake up around 5.30am before the rest of my family, and that’s my time alone. Then I spend some time tending to my garden.’

Ms Richie, 32, attests that her home, which she shares with husband Joel Madden and daughter Harlow, six and son Sparrow, four, has a lavish backyard, saying: ‘We have apple trees, blueberry trees, lemon trees, strawberries, butter lettuce, arugula, snap peas, tomatoes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, spinach, mint, thyme, oregano, and sage.’

The avid gardener also maintains a chicken coop in her backyard, which she uses to harvest eggs for her family’s meals.

Additionally, she tends to a pond full of turtles that she had originally purchased for Sparrow.

‘Sparrow wanted turtles for his birthday, so I got them for him, and he has not looked at them since,’ she said of the pets.

‘I hated these turtles. I wanted nothing to do with them. They don’t even have names. They were just pointless pets sitting in this cage,’ she added.

But Ms Richie, a noted animal lover, decided to give the turtles another chance. Taking inspiration from her chickens’ abode, she created what she calls a ‘turtle coop.’

But for her, Los Angeles is the perfect place to grow up.

Speaking from experience, Ms Richie says: ‘The best part about raising kids here [in Hollywood] is that I was never told that being gay or mixed race was different at all. It’s such a big melting pot, and everybody is so open-minded and welcoming here, I don’t know where else I would raise them.’

---Mailonline