“I got the bug in 2007 when we bought our new home. Gardening is mindfulness which is the new rage at the moment. Gardening is forgiving, changing and resilient. It is a vital part of my life. I get to look at my life, my canvas and take out and destroy what doesn’t work and replenish it with plants that work.

    My mom grew food, which sparked my interest later in life to grow food. Unfortunately, she only planted her first flower the year prior to her passing. It was a yellow rosebush. Like the saddest song, oh how I hated and loved that rose. I was determined to grow flowers and enjoy them.

      In January 2012, the year of my son’s passing, I did not garden at all. However, in the spring of 2013, I reconnected with him in my garden. I decided to make a border to honour his memory. My garden is my wailing wall. Part of it includes an all-white border, which was driven by loss and inspired by the white gardens of Sissinghurst Castle white garden. I have fought the past few years to keep out self-sown purple foxgloves and poppies, until this year. I decided as my grief is changing to let in a bit of blue and I added a powder blue lobelia as the base.

     You can take a girl from her mother but you can’t take the mother from the girl. Like mama, I grow some fruit, vegetables and lots of herbs. This all is in harmony with my singing and cooking. In my garden I can sing the garden down or rehearse lyrics and then use the produce I grow, cooking for friends and family and hosting garden parties which we love so much.

     Here’s a few snaps..."