Image courtesy of Christina Carpenter
When Christina Carpenter moved into her Devonshire home two years ago, the garden was a completely blank canvas. Since then, Christina (also known as @lady_green_fingers) has transformed her into a vibrant, wildlife-friendly universe that bursts with flowers, homemade vegetables and unique upcycling projects. Discover how she created a quiet heaven and occasional hedgehog for herself…
How did you get involved in gardening?
Image courtesy of Christina Carpenter
I have always been creative and loved spending time in nature, but my true passion for gardening began at our last home. It had a big mature garden where I learned about luggage and really caught gardening bugs. Now, it’s a big part of my life – it’s where I naturally go to relax, relax and connect.
Tell us about your garden transformation
Before and after Christina’s garden (pictured by Christina Carpenter)
When we moved here the garden was mostly gravel and there were small squares of grass. A suitable blank canvas! Since then, I have transformed the space into various “rooms,” adding flower boundaries to create barriers, creating raised beds, creating ponds, and relaying roads. Currently, there are plenty of flowers, plants, wildlife and homemade food.
What inspires you in your garden?
Image courtesy of Christina Carpenter
Nature is my biggest inspiration. I love seeing how plants and wildlife work together. There are also plenty of ideas from visits from RHS Gardens, National Trust Gardens, and other gardeners I follow on Instagram. When I see what other people grow and create, it always affects me and sparks new ideas.
What is your favorite gardening style?
Image courtesy of Christina Carpenter
My favorite garden style is relaxing and natural. I love the planting feels a little wild. There are many perennial plants, decorative grass, self-god annuals, and there are pops of colours that change throughout the season. And of course, there are many pollinators too.
What are you most proud of?
Image courtesy of Christina Carpenter
Definitely a wild animal! The pond is always busy with birds, bees and even frogs. There was also a visit by hedgehogs and badgers. I am so happy to know that I have created a small heaven for nature.
Tell us about your future plans
Image courtesy of Christina Carpenter
I continue to try out rare vegetable varieties, and want to save more of my seeds each year, and add more perennial edibles. There are also some fun upcycling projects that we plan to share on Instagram. Look at this space!
What are your top gardening tips for beginners?
Take care of your soil! Healthy soil creates happy plants. Add organic matter, avoid chemicals, let it do that naturally – that makes such a difference.
Grows up like Christina
Low-maintenance Allium Spa Helocephalon is loved by pollinators
Image: Allium Sphaerocephalon by Thompson & Morgan
If Christina wants to grow plants on her Instagram page, here are some of her favorites.
You can follow Christina as her garden continues to evolve and thrive on @lady_green_fingers’ Instagram. For even more inspiration, our series of notable gardeners are full of highly knowledgeable producers.
The Thompson & Morgan Horticultural team produces a wealth of content on gardening and food production. Since the first seed catalogue was released in 1855, Thompson & Morgan has grown into one of the UK’s largest mail-order seed and plant companies. Through publishing catalogs and running an award-winning website, Thompson & Morgan is able to provide home gardeners with the highest quality products that money can buy.
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