Image courtesy of Sharon Lewis
When Sharon (@lifeoutsideforme) moved into her Worcestershire home in 2011, gardening quickly became a source of calm and creativity. Over the years, and alongside work and family commitments, she’s shaped her outside space to reflect a love of nature, wildlife, and the changing seasons. Discover how she brings her garden to life through seasonal planting, wildlife-friendly choices, and a relaxed cottage-style approach…
How did you get into gardening?
Blossom, Sharon’s gardening sidekick
Images courtesy of Sharon Lewis
My gardening journey began back in 2011 when we moved to a home with ¾ of an acre of garden in semi-rural Worcestershire. I’ve managed the garden by myself since 2020, which can be difficult at times due to teaching and working for the family business. Having said that, there’s nothing more relaxing for the soul than spending a couple of hours in the fresh air, with your hands in the soil, so I try and get out as much as I can, even in the winter.
As I’m sure many people would agree, 2020 was a huge turning point; it gave me time to transform gardening from an interest into a major hobby. I became a little obsessed with taking before and after photos of my gardening projects so that I could share them with like-minded people. My first social media post was of a wildlife pond in our back garden that I tidied up, and I’ve loved being part of the online gardening community where I have met so many wonderful people. I should also give a special shout out to our little Cockapoo, Blossom, who I’m sure fancies herself as Head Gardener!
What inspires you in the garden?
A deer spotted roaming free in Sharon’s garden
Image courtesy of Sharon Lewis
I like to let wildlife guide me when planning new planting areas in my garden. Listening to bees hum on a warm spring day, watching birds gather nesting materials, and even spotting deer among the sweet peas is a fabulous reminder that we share our green spaces with many more species than just fellow humans.
What’s your favourite gardening style?
A blooming border and a bountiful crop from Sharon’s garden
Images courtesy of Sharon Lewis
I’ve always loved cottage-style gardening. Our garden has several paths, and I like to aim for a natural look, with plants spilling over and complementing each other. I also love letting things self-seed where they can; visitors can expect foxgloves, peach-leaved bellflowers and aquilegia, among others. Herbs feature regularly in our borders, while sweet peas, dahlias and cosmos are a few of my favourite summer flowers.
In addition to this, we also have a small kitchen garden, consisting of a greenhouse surrounded by 6 raised beds. Raised bed gardening has proved to be fantastic for both edibles and cut flower growing. If I only had this method of growing, I’d still be very happy.
What are you most proud of?
A bouquet of flowers picked from Sharon’s garden
Image courtesy of Sharon Lewis
I feel that our garden always looks its best in spring, and I’m especially proud of my container displays. They’re planted with double tulips that often resemble peonies or roses, hyacinths (worth planting for the scent alone), and creamy narcissus such as ‘Winston Churchill’.
I also feel a huge sense of achievement when I’m able to give bouquets of homegrown flowers to friends and family. This year has been fantastic for dahlias and I’ve loved sharing blooms from the garden with others.
What’s your top gardening tip for beginners?
Sharon’s garden in full bloom
Images courtesy of Sharon Lewis
I have two pieces of advice. Firstly, drawing on my own mistakes, it’s important to understand what soil you have, as this will guide you towards plants that are more likely to thrive than those chosen at random from a garden centre. Secondly, and I know this is easier said than done, try not to compare your garden to others. It’s taken me a long time to feel comfortable with the fact that sometimes it’s messy and not perfect, and that’s ok. Other commitments mean gardening can’t always come first, but just get out and enjoy it when you can!
Tell us about your future plans
Sharon’s wildlife pond and summer dahlias
Images courtesy of Sharon Lewis
I’m currently in the process of replanting a very long, dry border along the edge of a winding path; it’s over 3 metres deep in some places, so it’s a huge job. I plan to plant rosemary, salvia, alliums, and echinops, using plenty of repetition throughout the garden. We are also moving our garden pod and adding an additional patio area with a pergola, which I’m hoping will give us the opportunity to enjoy long summer evenings in the sun.
Grow like Sharon
Image: Foxglove ‘Dalmatian Peach’ from Thompson & Morgan
If you’d like to grow the plants and flowers Sharon showcases on her Instagram page, here are some of her favourites:
You can follow Sharon as her garden continues to evolve and flourish at @lifeoutsideforme. For more inspiration, our full series of Featured Gardeners is packed with 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.