We’re thrilled to welcome Leigh Johnstone – award-winning garden designer, mental health campaigner, and Instagram personality, The Beardy Gardener, to Dandelion Time’s Candlelit Christmas event, where he will be sharing a special reading. As an active mental health campaigner, using his past struggles to advocate for the power of gardening to improve wellbeing, Leigh has a heartfelt connection to the work we do with children and families through nature.

We spoke with Leigh about his passion for the outdoors, creativity, and what draws him to Dandelion Time.

What is it about being outdoors that you find most transformative?

“I think it’s very simple. For me, being outdoors quiets everything down. The noise of life, the pressure, my racing thoughts – they all fade when I’m immersed in green space. I enjoy taking pleasure in the cycle of the seasons; the safe rhythm of spring into summer, for example, helps put life into perspective and I find great comfort in that. When I am having a bad day, the thought that the world keeps turning, that the sun will always rise and set, makes me feel better. I talk to my plants as well – the garden doesn’t judge, and sometimes I just need to let it out and not have anyone talk back.”

Gardening, writing, and storytelling all seem to intertwine in your work. How do these creative practices help you express and process your experiences?

“They’re all different ways of saying the same thing: connection. Gardening grounds me in the moment, writing helps me process how I feel, and storytelling lets me share those feelings with others. When I’m planting something or putting words on a page, I’m trying to make sense of what’s going on inside me. Creativity helps me turn those messy, vulnerable bits into something honest and hopefully helps others feel seen and understood too.”

What resonates most with you about Dandelion Time’s approach to helping children and families through nature?

“I had the amazing privilege to visit Dandelion Time’s 22-acre site in Maidstone a few months ago. I wish I’d had this kind of space when I was growing up. The emphasis on connecting children with nature, giving them gardening jobs, a sense of purpose, and something to care for takes their minds away from everyday life which might be a challenge and helps them find some calm and a confidence they might not have had. It’s not about fixing people; it’s about creating the right environment for them to grow. That’s what Dandelion Time does so well – they give children and families a beautiful space to heal, to take a breath, and to rediscover joy through the simplest of things.”

As someone who’s found such strength and solace in the natural world, what message or ‘seed of hope’ would you like to share with the next generation?

“Everyone is a gardener. Humans are evolutionarily connected to the natural world and everyone has the ability within them to find calm and a sense of purpose in it. Nature will care for us, if we let it. You don’t need to know the Latin names of plants or have a massive garden to feel the impact – just step outside, listen, and notice. There’s magic in small things: a Blackbird rooting for worms, a seed unfurling after rain, the smell of cut grass. I feel so privileged to be a custodian of my small patch of grass. The more we care for nature, the more it cares for us. That’s the message I hope to pass on.”

Join us at our Candlelit Christmas event to hear Leigh share his love for nature, storytelling, and the simple magic of the outdoors. It promises to be an evening full of inspiration, warmth, and community spirit.