Treading Gently

As we move into a new year, garden designer Franchesca Watson recommends rethinking our gardens as places where nature can thrive

- Franchesca Watson

I feel we might move forward with a more aware and less selfish perspective. If not, there is no time like the present. This time of year presents opportunities for reassessment and change. What could this mean for our gardens?

We value our gardens more, whether they are large or small, balconies or estates. We want them to work harder to benefit recreation, beauty, food production, and the wellbeing of our planet and mental health. Everything we plant has a positive effect on us and the environment. I worry that our often time-strapped lives exclude us from connecting to nature – the very antidote we need to alleviate stress in the first place.

In 2022, let sustainability and effectiveness be your mantra. Here is how this translates for me: