Image courtesy of Sally Grace
Sally from @sally_grace_gardening’s love of nature began in childhood, collecting leaves and flowers in a scrapbook. Fast forward to today, and both her garden and allotment are full of fruit, flowers and unusual homegrown treats. Discover how she uses smart planting tricks to get the most from every corner…
How did you get into gardening?
Images courtesy of Sally Grace
I’ve had a love of nature ever since I was a young girl. I used to keep a scrap book of leaves and flowers I would collect.
When my son was little, I wanted to grow fruits and vegetables with him so we could learn about growing food together. We enjoyed it so much that I’ve started doing the same with my daughter. We started with tomatoes and peas, which soon escalated. I also love growing flowers from seed, which I often gift my parents.
What’s your favourite gardening style?
Image courtesy of Sally Grace
I grow everything in containers; I only have a small garden, and it provides me flexibility with working with the seasons and changing pots for all-year-round colour and interest. I love to include lots of colour and cottage garden favourites.
I treat my allotment as an extension of my garden and like to grow flowers, fruits and vegetables. I love seeing the bees and butterflies flock around the flowers, and there is something so rewarding about growing plants that provide a valuable food source for them.
What inspires you in the garden?
Images courtesy of Sally Grace
I wanted to see how much I could grow in a small garden and create a little sanctuary for myself. It then inspired me to share my knowledge with others and show what you can grow, even if you’re limited on space. I love growing dwarf varieties of plants which work well for small gardens and using vertical planters to maximise my growing space.
What do you like to grow?
Images courtesy of Sally Grace
I love growing strawberries, blueberries and raspberries for their flavour. There is nothing better than picking your own fresh, organic tasty fruit!
I also love exploring unusual varieties of vegetables and fruits you can’t buy in the supermarkets. I’ve grown purple potatoes, ‘rich sweetness’ melons which can fit in the palm of your hand, cucamelons, pink blueberries, golden raspberries, tayberries, honeyberries and more!
What are you most proud of?
Images courtesy of Sally Grace
I’ve loved sharing my gardening journey and tips on social media. I’ve had messages from people telling me it’s helped inspire them to get into gardening and that makes me so happy. It can do wonders for your mental health and it’s a lovely way to connect with nature.
I’ve also got a little tradition with my dad and daughter now where we grow potatoes on my allotment together. We plant them in March and harvest in early autumn and it’s such a lovely thing to do with them both. They’re valuable memories that I’m hoping my daughter will have of growing up.
What’s your top gardening tip for beginners?
Images courtesy of Sally Grace
Don’t be afraid to experiment and get things wrong. Experimenting is all part of the fun of learning what works for your space and finding what you enjoy growing. I think it’s so important for people to see that getting it wrong is ok and it doesn’t mean gardening isn’t for you.
Companion planting is also so helpful in maximising your space, increasing your crop and deterring garden pests. For example, planting onions amongst carrots masks the scent of carrots, which can help prevent carrot root fly. It’s also important to plant pollinator-friendly plants if you want to attract them to your garden. I find that alliums and borage are like magnets for bees, which is really helpful if you’re growing food like pumpkins or cucumbers that need pollinating.
What are your future plans?
Image courtesy of Sally Grace
I’m currently working on bringing my allotment back to life and growing even more flowers to add more colour, and create a space that the bees can enjoy.
I’ve also got some lovely mini fruit trees from Thompson and Morgan which I’m excited to grow, and create a little orchard area.
Gardening has had such a huge impact on my life and I’ll continue to share my experience of failures as well as successes. Sometimes there are things outside of our control but there is still so much joy to be had when it goes right, from seeing the first little seedlings appear to beautiful blooms in your garden and picking your own delicious homegrown food.
Grow like Sally
Image: Raspberry ‘Heritage’ from Thompson & Morgan
If you’d like to grow the plants and flowers Sally showcases on her Instagram page, here are some of her favourites:
Follow Sally at @sally_grace_gardening to see how she continues to grow, inspire, and make the most of every inch of her garden. For more inspiration, our full series of Featured Gardeners contains a wealth of hugely knowledgeable growers who are also worth a follow.
The Thompson & Morgan horticultural team produces a wealth of content around gardening and food production. Since the first seed catalogue was published in 1855, Thompson & Morgan has grown to become one of the UK’s largest Mail Order Seed and Plant companies. Through the publication of our catalogues and the operation of our award-winning website, Thompson & Morgan is able to provide home gardeners with the very best quality products money can buy.