Andy Peasgood is a Principal Dancer with Scottish Ballet and a keen gardener. His performance career is fast paced and he finds balance in the garden with particular interests in planting, wildlife and design.

In his regular column, Andy takes us on a journey that follows the creation of his brand, new garden. 

Follow more of Andy’s gardening journey on Instagram.

Why we garden is a personal question and one that could uncover some of our most intimate feelings and experiences. There are a great number of inspirations in gardening – self sufficiency, creativity, pollination and wildlife for example. However, it is the combined experiences of joy, consolation, nurturing and time that we all share. It is something that links us together to nature’s soothing breath. 

Over the last year there has been a dramatic increase in people searching for the harmonious pace of that breath and have subsequently found themselves connecting to nature in an abundance of ways. If you are curious, allow the connection to happen and be brave. Enjoy discovering the ways that work for you, this could be anything from ferns on a shady patio corner to the incredible indoor plants that are so readily available to us now. Say hello to reduced stress levels and an improved mood! 

One of my favourite options is to create your own green space. Take a couple of window boxes and have some cut and come again salads in one and sow a wildflower mix in the other. A beautiful summer of fresh leaves, colour and visiting pollinators flying by your window. 

Creating your own green space is wonderfully fun and rewarding and as I embark on creating a new garden, I look forward to rediscovering all these emotions in a brand new environment. Throughout this series you will be joining me on a step by step journey in transforming my 8×6 metre plot of soil into a family garden. Welcome to ‘A Garden From Scratch’.