THE BEGINNING

I grew up in the industrial city of Birmingham, with little connection to nature—until we moved to an old farmhouse on the edge of the countryside. From that point on, I was hooked. I’d disappear across the fields with a fishing rod and sandwiches, not returning until sunset. Nature became my escape, and it still is.

In my twenties, I travelled a lot—crewing a yacht in the Middle East, working on farms in Australia, even working on a trawler in the Pacific (not recommended!). Eventually, I came back to the UK to study Geography, specialising in ecology and climate change.

After a few wrong turns, I became a teacher—and I’ve been doing it for over ten years now. I teach Geography, but more importantly, I teach hope. While the news can be full of doom and gloom, I focus on real, positive change and on people restoring the health of our soil, food systems and ecology.

This passion led me to permaculture—a practical, hopeful approach to designing spaces that work with nature, not against it. I trained with Oregon State University, and now use permaculture as a flexible tool to create beautiful, productive gardens that are good for people and the planet.

Through Garden Footprint, I want to share everything I’ve learned—so you can grow more food, connect with nature, and feel confident about your garden’s potential. Every garden is an opportunity to improve our health, food and quality of life and I'd love to help you make this positive change a reality.