News!
Finally, I’m able to tell you the news that I’ve been having to keep quiet for months. And my goodness, has it been a hard one to keep quiet about.
As you know, I love teaching. I started off teaching after university, and it’s something I’ve always been totally passionate about - in fact, I’ve devoted the whole of this Substack to sharing everything I’ve learned about gardening. That’s The Gardening Mind’s mission, and I am so happy that I get the chance to work with you all and hopefully help you in some way along your gardening journey. People say that I’m generous with what I share here, but that’s the whole point of this Substack. What is the point of knowing stuff if you just keep it to yourself?
I’ve just finished giving feedback to young designers at RHS Sandringham Flower Show, and this feedback process is supposed to take just a few minutes for each garden. But, if a designer clearly wants to learn and progress, and asks how they can do better next time, I am more than happy to give them all the time in the world. I learned by having great mentors, and I have always been adamant that I want to pass that on.
WELL. Now I get to do that even more.
If you’re landing here at The Gardening Mind for the first time, welcome - I’m delighted you’ve found us. There’s lots going on here - garden design ideas, easy gardening how-tos, plant recommendations, general garden chat, border planting design tips and tricks, zoom get-togethers and lots more. If you’d like to join in, I’d absolutely love it.
If you’re wondering what we’re all about here in The Gardening Mind, do have a look at this which explains my mission and what to expect here. Also, please do head to the Home Page on your browser. There you’ll find over four years’ worth of design articles, plant profiles, garden challenges, short courses, tutorials, and lots and lots more.
If you haven’t quite decided what style of garden you like, or want, but you want to do something to your garden, there are lots of previous posts to read through which I think you’ll find helpful.
You can follow these in your own time:
You also get the opportunity to take part in the Garden Design Studio where over 8 weeks, I teach you how to design your own garden.
There are Garden Design Case Studies and Garden Dilemmas.
There are sections on
and so much more.
And here’s what I’d love to know: are you someone who has never gardened before but who is tempted? I would be just so happy if you decided to join us: we’ve had so many complete beginners join us over the last few years, and those beginners have over time sown their first seed, harvested their first salad leaves, and are here now forming this community of garden lovers.
I want you to feel confident enough to have a go, maybe even to ask questions, and to feel that amazing feeling you get when you go outside and see your very first seedling poking its way curiously out of the soil. There isn’t anything quite like it.