“GARDENING QUITE LITERALLY SAVED MY LIFE”

In 2021 I started highlighting my garden on Instagram. Then I created The Giving Garden at my home, an ongoing gardening and wellbeing project where I grow and support others to grow plants for people going through tough times. It is my ultimate ambition to create a ‘National Collection of Positivity’ spaces full of plants and flowers, each one dedicated to someone struggling from poor mental health, low mood or just in need of a pick me up.

In 2022 I was asked by the Royal Horticultural Society to host The Potting Bench stage at their prestigious Hampton Court Flower Show.

I launched the second year of my Giving Garden project and was invited to Millennium Park in Chicago by a group of US gardeners to learn about urban planting and to talk about my journey so far. I also made my national press debut during the summer with features on BBC News, Radio 5 Live and LBC

In 2023 I designed my first show garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, to critical acclaim. The public Giving Garden I designed for a shopping centre in Basingstoke won an international environmental award.

I now design and create unique wellbeing spaces rooted in understanding how to maximise the connection between nature and wellbeing.

I designed a showcase garden at BBC Gardeners’ World Spring Fair called ‘A Forest of calm’ which won me my first gold medal. The garden highlighted the mental health benefits of spending time in nature and was sponsored by the New Forest National Park, New Forest District Council and Culture in Common. I designed a new urban garden for a community in Basingstoke, alongside Sovereign Housing Association. I also hosted the ‘Tips and Tricks Stage’ at RHS Malvern Spring Festival and worked with some brilliant organisations including FSC UK and Ecosia.