My latest magazine article is for the lovely Family First Magazine, Winter 2023, discussing the benefits of gardening and connecting to nature. Family First was formed in 2017 to provide parents and schools with all the tools they need to help improve the health of children & young adults across the UK, helping families build a happier, healthier family lifestyle. The...
Growing Herbs Indoors: 7 Experts Share their Tips! I was recently delighted to be one of seven gardening experts from US, Singapore & UK who contributed to a feature about Growing Herbs Indoors published on the Chef's Pencil site. This informative article covers the 'soup to nuts' of herb growing at home, helping you to choose herbs to grow, get started with seeds and...
A video demonstration for Barratt David Wilson Homes showing you how to make seed bombs at home. It is clear that across the UK, our wildlife needs help. Many creatures familiar from our childhoods are no longer a common sight as land use has changed over the decades and habitats are diminishing. The National Trust reports that 97% of Britain's wildflower...
National Garden Week 2020 saw me writing a blog post for the ellenor Hospice on how we can all benefit from time spent enjoying our garden or a local park. With current global worries about COVID-19 and much reduced personal contact with family, friends and community, the ability of nature to relax and restore make those green spaces we do...
I was invited to join the BBC Radio Kent Sunday Gardening programme on December 1st 2019 to talk about Plants for Winter Interest. As a regular listener to the show it was a treat to meet Andy Garland again, the show's host and a keen gardener, and one of the Sunday Gardening resident horticultural experts Steve Bradley. Winter can easily be...
I was delighted to write an article for the online magazine Care Home Management about bringing gardening activities into care homes and the benefits for residents. In recent years research and pilot projects have shown that time spent out in nature and meaningful nature-based activities bring significant wellbeing benefits to people of all ages. Gardening is the most familiar, accessible and...
The TogetherTV fly-on-the-wall documentary series The Hospice showed all aspects of life at ellenor Hospice in Gravesend, Kent for patients, families, staff and volunteers. Episode 12 included the garden therapy group, Green Shoots, that I have run since summer 2017. You can see and hear patients talking about what they like about the group and me explaining how gardening is relevant...
In August 2018 I spoke on the Health Matters Radio Show for Kent Channel Radio, interviewed by Neil D’Silva. Together Caroline Alldis, Natural Mindfulness practitioner and I explained how Gardening for the Mind blends the benefits of gardening and mindfulness and how we came to work together to offer these unique workshops. Listen to the radio interview here https://www.gardeningbydesign.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/Gardening-for-the-Mind-Health-Matters-Radio.mp3 Hear the whole show (no. 33)...
The Wealden Times 2017 Midsummer Fair included a Garden Hub and Healthy Living Festival and to highlight this I wrote an article on the benefits of getting out into a garden for the June 2017 issue. You can find the online magazine here move the slider bar to page 171 for “Plant Therapy” Full text of the article It’s official. Gardening is good for...
