Going against the grain after 37 years and using your garden to embrace all parts of you

A cautionary tale and an exclusive offer for you.

Never in a million years would I have thought I’d be writing almost daily and getting paid for it. From penning articles for some of the biggest online wellness magazines to my hints, tips and gardening tricks here to you on Substack.

You see school told me I wasn’t good at writing. And I, being the good little girl that I was, believed them.

I was a scientist and I stayed firmly in that box until about a month ago where I finally gave myself permission to believe that what I have to say on whatever topic I choose is worth reading and paying for, to believe that I was a writer.

Studying 3 sciences and maths for A level (told you, utter science geek) there was little room for creativity, although while at school and Uni I sung my heart out in the choir and on stage in every musical theatre production going, which kind of gave me my creative fix. Let me know in the comments if you’ve got a favourite musical. Mine is Oklahoma, because of the kickass female characters who know what they want (and don’t want) and aren’t afraid to vocalise it!

That right there, that’s why i’ve told myself for so long that I couldn’t be a writer. Because of the tangents I go off on. It’s my ADHD brain, always 3452 steps ahead of itself with ideas juggernauting themselves into my head constantly.

But now I realise that I am who I am and I write the way that I write and either you’ll enjoy it and you’ll want to read more, or you won’t and you’ll unsubscribe (which is totally cool by the way). I can’t keep trying to morph myself into that perfect little good girl anymore. It’s exhausting, no less because my brain rejects it almost constantly.

For as long as I can remember at school, at home and definitely in the workplace i’ve been told I’m too much. Too loud, too opinionated, too sweary, too, too, too, AHHHHHH!

Many people in my life are definitely more comfortable when I’m sitting down and keeping my mouth shut.

But I wasn’t put on this earth to make other people feel comfortable. I was put on this earth to make a difference, to help women see how wonderful they are (warts and all), to help them see that they are worth spending time on, worth prioritising and not just so they have more energy to take care of everyone else (yuck) but because they are honestly the most magical creatures to ever roam the land (we grow actual human life for fuck’s sake).

Society isn’t welcoming to a woman like me, or actually to any woman who’s not prepared to tow the line. And it can sometimes feel overwhelming to feel like you are battling that everyday. So it’s doubly important to have a space you can go and be truly yourself without fear of judgement or unsolicited opinions.

For me, it’s in my garden is where I can truly be myself, where I can bring all parts of me to the party even the spikey bits. I mirror these parts of my personality through the plants that I choose:

The bold, bright, clashing colours for the vibrant parts of me.

The soft and soothing plants for the gentle, cuddly parts of me.

The spikey plants for my rough edges and my big, sometimes ugly emotions.

I’d love to help you do that in your garden too. Create a space that feels like you, a space you can truly be yourself, prickly edges and all.

Starting this Sunday (10th September) and for the next 12 weeks I’ll be taking the members of The Mindful Gardening Club through my signature gardening and floristry for wellbeing course so that they can take their gardens from bland to brightly coloured.

We would love to have you along for the ride. You can find out more and join as a member here.

There are also the options to add some 1:1 time with me to your membership at the Plant and Flower levels, this is ideal if you find yourself getting overwhelmed with all the options out there and you want me to help you simplify it so you can actually take action and make your dream garden a reality. These spaces are limited though as I don’t have enough room in my diary for 1:1’s with everyone.

If you’ve got any questions about the options or you want to chat through if its right for you then drop me an email. I want you to feel that buzz of excitement in the pit of your stomach about this and you can’t feel that if you have questions. So hit me up!

K xx

p.s. this isn’t getting released to the general public til tomorrow so you have time to make an informed choice, especially if you’re pondering upgrading to Plant or Flower level for my eyes on your garden and plans.