Garden Clinic Digs Deeper

Meet Sophie Thompson - Gardener, author and TV presenter

08.09.2018 - By Garden ClinicPlay

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Meet Sophie Thomson - Garden consultant, media presenter and author of Sophie's Patch

In the beautiful Adelaide Hills, this week's podcast guest Sophie Thomson is well known to viewers of ABCTV Gardening Australia who witnessed the evolution of this stunning garden. From a dry landscape, Sophie has transformed her patch of dirt into Hamlyn Cottage with a bush garden and has documented all in her new book - Sophie's Patch.

Linda and Sophie share a love of home grown veggies and share recipes for New Guinea beans (www.sophiespatch.com.au/2018/04/23/new-guinea-bean-halva), Tomatillo Salsa Verde (www.sophiespatch.com.au/2018/04/23/tomatillo-salsa-verde-two-ways/) and other delights that will leave your mouth watering.

Sophie shares Linda's passion about the role gardening can play in people's lives as a stress reliever. With more people claiming to feel stressed in their daily lives, let alone having to deal with the challenges faced when experiencing natural disasters such as flood or fires, she is convinced that gardening has a vital role to play in individual and community health, which is being backed up by research and engagement worldwide.

"I believe gardening provides some of the solutions to life's challenges" says Sophie "because it reduces stress, teaches us resilience, care of our environment and gives us great pleasure and rewards when we see what we can achieve through our endeavours".

She is an advocate for the worldwide Nature Play movement, which helps kids develop a lifelong connection with nature, and strongly believes in creating green backyards and green open spaces where kids can play freely, reducing their screen time in favour of green time.

Check out Sophie's Patch with us next November when we head to South Australia & Kangaroo Island. Visit Ross Tours for more details or call on 1300 233 200

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