For more than forty years I’ve been lucky enough to spend my days in gardens – and, just as importantly, in conversation about gardens.
Some of those conversations have happened on tour buses and in walled courtyards. Some in lecture rooms, workshops and symposiums. Some one-on-one, hands in pockets, standing quietly beside a border. And in recent years, many have unfolded here – through this newsletter, online, and in the spaces where curious gardeners gather.
Across all of it, one thing has become clearer and clearer to me:
The best gardens don’t come from having all the answers.
They come from honing our thinking in such a way as to identify the best questions, or the real questions at hand.
That’s why I’m writing today. On 2 March, we’re launching something I’ve wanted to build for a very long time:
The Gardenists Community
A place for like-minded, curious, hungry gardeners to gather – safely, generously, and with purpose – to learn, connect, and keep asking better and better questions.
What it is
Think of it as a living extension of everything we’ve done over the years – tours, symposiums, courses, conversations – brought into one home.
Inside, you can expect:
- Weekly posts from me and the team – ideas, prompts, practical lessons, and the occasional provocation.
- Monthly interviews with designers – plantspeople and thinkers I genuinely want to learn from.
- Gradual access to past Symposium content – and new material as we release it.
- New course resources and field notes – designed to make your garden thinking sharper and your gardening more rewarding.
- Events near you – and opportunities to meet in person as the community grows.
- and much, much more…
What makes it different
It’s going to gather and celebrate the collective wisdom of home gardeners everywhere. Together, we know far more than any individual, no matter how revered!
It’s going to take garden expertise, enquiry, and simple pondering, to a place that the mainstream media simply can’t.
You’ll be able to:
- Connect locally with gardeners in your area.
- Find your people by interest – city gardens, big landscapes, perennials, traditional, modern… and all the beautiful overlaps in between.
- Join conversations or start your own, knowing there will be someone, somewhere, ready to listen and add something meaningful.
A gift when you join
When you sign up, you’ll receive a simple but powerful tool: a Garden SWOT.
It will help you map the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats of your garden – and, if you choose, share it inside the community so others can help you see your space with fresh eyes.
Launch details
- Launch date: Monday 2 March
- Early bird access: We’ll be offering an early bird discount to those who join at launch.
I’ll share full details (including pricing and how it works) in the coming days. For now, I simply wanted you to hear it first – because if you’re reading this, you’re already part of the reason it exists.
More soon,
Michael