The aim for National Gardening Week 2025 is to get new and beginner gardeners to create their green space with confidence. Gardening can have a positive impact on physical, social and mental wellbeing. We sat down with deaf gardener, Jess Reynolds, to give us her top tips and how she got into gardening.
When did you first start gardening?
Since I was a young child, I have loved gardening with my grandparents, especially grandad, who would show me what to do. He would let me help him with his ladders & wheelbarrow.
I loved having my own set of gardening gloves, kids size!
I found it easier to communicate through gardening and still do, because it is hands on and an activity that can be shared with anyone – deaf, hearing and any age…
It helped my frustrations as a young deaf person trying to navigate the wider world, so because of this I have continued to garden – maintaining my mental health and being in touch with nature. It’s sensory, with textures and smells, colour…
Seeing flowers come to life because you’ve planted a seed, looked after it… it’s rewarding.
What was it like on a BSL gardening show?
I loved being part of the garden crew on You, Me, Garden? for three series.
It was a good mix of deaf and hearing people interacting together, working as a blended team making a positive difference to deaf people’s lives & gardens.
I learnt more about gardening and my confidence grew.
What are your top tips for beginners?
- Always start small, set realistic goals to avoid feeling disappointed by things not going as expected or getting overwhelmed.
- I’d suggest planting herb and vegetable seeds like potatoes or tomatoes which are the easiest to grow successfully. The best time to do this is the end of March, beginning of April.
- Always follow instructions and advice on the packets – a lot of people actually don’t do this.
- Perennial flowers are those which grow back every year. Plant those flowers into container tubs rather than the ground, this avoids the potential imbalance in soil and the flowers’ needs not being met. Once the flowers are stronger and bigger, move them into the ground.
- Use wood pallets to create a wall planter and hang them up on the wall. A wall planter is great if you don’t have a proper garden or space. Use your windowsills to plant a tray of herbs, it acts as a greenhouse.
My general advice is to try and avoid getting artificial grass as this harms the environment and gets very hot for animals to walk on. Their paws get burnt!
If you are inspired, you can watch Jess and others on You, Me, Garden? On LumoTV for more advice and tips on creating a beautiful garden.
For more information on Gardening Week, visit The Royal Horticultural Society https://www.rhs.org.uk/get-involved/national-gardening-week
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