About Me
Born and bred along the broads, I grew up surrounded by the Victorian style garden lovingly tended by my parents. Here I learned how to tend flowers, vegetables and fruit. I only didn't become a gardener sooner because, quite frankly, I didn't think I could. However that changed when I started watching BBC's Garden Rescue, and saw that one of my childhood heroes Charlie Dimmock was not only still rocking it as an amazing female horticulturalist, but was now also showing the world you could absolutely be an a amazing female horticulturalist...who just so happens to be plus size.
Like many I began to reassess what was important to me during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite training in bio science I was working as a waitress at the time and the lock-downs allowed me to spend more time in my family's garden (and outdoors in general) then I had done in years. I loved every second of it, but returned to hospitality when normal life resumed.
In February of 2021 I volunteered at a local farm by watering the farm shop plants every evening. By April I had asked if I could extend this to helping with their garden, and by June I had left the world of hospitality behind me to begin my life as a maintenance gardener.
It was during the initial months spent at the farm that I also noticed gardening helped more with my ongoing pain issues than anything my physiotherapist had given me. In the space of a few months I had almost forgotten my previously constant back pain.
My first summer was utterly mental. I went from unemployed volunteer to fully booked in the space of two weeks. I worked 15 hour days, 7 days a week and can honestly say I enjoyed every moment of it.
In August 2021 The amazing Paula and Philip Colman took a massive leap of faith in me by allowing me to not only provide the plants available at the shop, but even grow a cut flower field onsite. Thanks to this, Charlie's Garden Flowers will be available at Colman's Farm this year!
While at the University of East Anglia I studied modules such as Plant Biology along with various ecology based subjects. I make no claims to be a horticultural guru at this point, though I do have decades of experience gardening and am currently studying towards an RHS Level 2 certificate, with plans to study even further.
I know through personal experience how gardening, or simply being in a garden help drastically with mental and physical health. It took me from a dark, painful time, to one where I can...well...grow! Which is why I aim to help others by maintaining gardens, so that even if you can't garden yourself (be it through health reasons or simply lack of time) you can still enjoy the benefits of the garden itself.
Thank you for reading
Charlie
Born and bred along the broads, I grew up surrounded by the Victorian style garden lovingly tended by my parents. Here I learned how to tend flowers, vegetables and fruit. I only didn't become a gardener sooner because, quite frankly, I didn't think I could. However that changed when I started watching BBC's Garden Rescue, and saw that one of my childhood heroes Charlie Dimmock was not only still rocking it as an amazing female horticulturalist, but was now also showing the world you could absolutely be an a amazing female horticulturalist...who just so happens to be plus size.
Like many I began to reassess what was important to me during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite training in bio science I was working as a waitress at the time and the lock-downs allowed me to spend more time in my family's garden (and outdoors in general) then I had done in years. I loved every second of it, but returned to hospitality when normal life resumed.
In February of 2021 I volunteered at a local farm by watering the farm shop plants every evening. By April I had asked if I could extend this to helping with their garden, and by June I had left the world of hospitality behind me to begin my life as a maintenance gardener.
It was during the initial months spent at the farm that I also noticed gardening helped more with my ongoing pain issues than anything my physiotherapist had given me. In the space of a few months I had almost forgotten my previously constant back pain.
My first summer was utterly mental. I went from unemployed volunteer to fully booked in the space of two weeks. I worked 15 hour days, 7 days a week and can honestly say I enjoyed every moment of it.
In August 2021 The amazing Paula and Philip Colman took a massive leap of faith in me by allowing me to not only provide the plants available at the shop, but even grow a cut flower field onsite. Thanks to this, Charlie's Garden Flowers will be available at Colman's Farm this year!
While at the University of East Anglia I studied modules such as Plant Biology along with various ecology based subjects. I make no claims to be a horticultural guru at this point, though I do have decades of experience gardening and am currently studying towards an RHS Level 2 certificate, with plans to study even further.
I know through personal experience how gardening, or simply being in a garden help drastically with mental and physical health. It took me from a dark, painful time, to one where I can...well...grow! Which is why I aim to help others by maintaining gardens, so that even if you can't garden yourself (be it through health reasons or simply lack of time) you can still enjoy the benefits of the garden itself.
Thank you for reading
Charlie