Devon


<p>If you’ve somehow missed Instagram’s favourite green-fingered firefighter (nearly two million followers and counting), allow us to introduce you to Jonny – aka&nbsp;<a href="https://www.instagram.com/gardenwithjonny/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Garden With Jonny</a>&nbsp;– the Warwickshire lad making gardening feel less like a chore and more like a lifestyle upgrade (with excellent biceps, frankly).</p>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2026/03/Untitled-1500-x-1500-px-1500-x-1000-px-1000-x-1500-px-89.jpg" alt="Jonny HIncks AKA Garden with Jonny" class="wp-image-69980" /></figure>



<p>By day, he’s a firefighter in Nuneaton; by night (and early morning, and whenever he gets a minute), he’s in the garden – filming, planting and making funny, slightly self-taking-the-mickey content, while also keeping his head straight. With his new book <em>Garden Yourself Happy</em> just out, and an appearance at <a href="https://tobygardenfest.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Toby&#8217;s Garden Festival</a> on <strong>Sat 2 May</strong> we catch up with Jonny to talk spring jobs, mental health, mulch (trust him on this) and, crucially, whether he’ll be celebrating Naked Gardening Day.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-so-jonny-how-did-gardening-first-come-into-your-life-nbsp">So Jonny, how did gardening first come into your life?&nbsp;</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2026/03/Untitled-1500-x-1500-px-1500-x-1000-px-1000-x-1500-px-87.jpg" alt="Tulips in Holland" class="wp-image-69972" /></figure>



<p>Gardening’s always been in my life. One of my earliest memories is being in Holland in the tulip fields – I must have been about four or five – and just thinking, these things are actually real. On my mum’s side, they’re all Dutch and they’re obsessed with gardening. My grandma, Oma, got me helping in the garden when I was about nine or 10, and I had to learn quickly what was a weed and what wasn’t because she’d tell me off if I got it wrong. I was earning £5 a week pocket money to help her and thinking this is brilliant, I’m getting paid to do something I love.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-does-being-a-firefighter-change-how-you-see-gardening-nbsp">Does being a firefighter change how you see gardening?&nbsp;</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2026/03/Untitled-1500-x-1500-px-1500-x-1000-px-1000-x-1500-px-88.jpg" alt="Jonny Hincks - firefighter and gardener" class="wp-image-69975" /></figure>



<p>Yeah, definitely. I love my job, I really do. I love the people I work with and being out in the community. But there’s also a side people don’t really talk about. It can be incredibly stressful, and you do see things that stay with you. I think that’s true for all emergency services, not just firefighters. A lot of frontline 999 staff are dealing with PTSD – I’ve had a couple of jobs that have really stuck with me.</p>



<p>For me, gardening is where I go to reset. I always say I’ve got my own kind of yin and yang – the gym is intense and full-on, and then the garden is the complete opposite. It slows everything down, helps me switch off and sort my head out. The two together just work.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-gardening-gets-talked-about-as-a-mental-health-boost-what-does-it-do-for-you-personally-nbsp">Gardening gets talked about as a mental health boost – what does it do for you personally?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Without even knowing it when I was younger, it was my escape. If there was trouble at school or things going on at home, I’d go into the garden and just feel calm. Now I understand it properly, it’s mindfulness, it’s switching off.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-is-gardening-your-version-of-therapy-nbsp">Is gardening your version of therapy?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>100%. If I’m not outside, I feel it. You know when people get hangry? I get garden-hangry – if I haven’t been out there, I’m not right. In the evenings, I’ll light the fire pit and sit out there – I get bats flying around and I love watching them. My phone stays inside, and I just sit in my little spot. It’s my bit of me time.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-for-anyone-who-s-never-picked-up-a-trowel-why-should-they-get-into-gardening-nbsp">For anyone who’s never picked up a trowel, why should they get into gardening?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Because it genuinely makes you feel better. That’s why my book’s called&nbsp;<em>Garden Yourself Happy</em>, because you can. It’s not about having the perfect garden. People think they need a Chelsea show garden and you just don’t. Start small. Start with one pot and really look after it. That’s what I did when I got my first place. One plant, and I was all over it. And honestly, it made me feel better straight away.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-s-the-biggest-mistake-beginners-make">What’s the biggest mistake beginners make?</h3>



<p>Going too big too soon. People buy loads of plants, get overwhelmed, and then panic because they don’t know what to do with them all. And the other big one is killing plants with kindness. Overwatering, overfeeding — sometimes plants like a bit of neglect.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-we-love-a-lazy-win-what-gives-maximum-impact-with-minimum-effort-nbsp">We love a lazy win. What gives maximum impact with minimum effort?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>Mulch. Every time. Just put it on top of your soil, you don’t even have to dig it in. It suppresses weeds, locks in moisture and feeds your plants. You can literally stand back afterwards and think, that looks great. It’s the easiest job you can do.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-and-easiest-plants-for-instant-success-nbsp">And easiest plants for instant success?&nbsp;</h3>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2026/03/Untitled-1500-x-1500-px-1500-x-1000-px-1000-x-1500-px-81.jpg" alt="Cosmos flowers" class="wp-image-69918" /></figure>



<p>Herbs like basil are a great start because you can use them for cooking as well. Lavender is another one you can’t really go wrong with, and it’s great for pollinators. And then cosmos from seed — they’re brilliant, especially if want to get kids involved in gardening. They germinate easily and if you keep deadheading them, they’ll flower all the way through to the first frost.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-what-are-the-must-do-jobs-right-now-nbsp">What are the must-do jobs right now?&nbsp;</h3>



<p><strong>Get sowing</strong><br>Start seeds indoors if you haven’t got a greenhouse — tomatoes, cosmos, anything like that. You can also sow hardy veg like spinach and beetroot straight into the ground now.</p>



<p><strong>Plant smart</strong><br>It’s a good time to get perennials in, along with herbs if you want something easy. If you’re starting from scratch, pick a few things you actually like and will use.</p>



<p><strong>Cut back the old stuff</strong><br>If you’ve left perennials and grasses over winter (which is what I do), now’s the time to cut them back so fresh growth can come through.</p>



<p><strong>Prune where needed</strong><br>Roses, hydrangeas and fruit trees can all be pruned now — just make sure you know what you’re cutting before you go in.</p>



<p><strong>Tidy beds and borders</strong><br>Clear out any dead bits, give everything a general tidy and get it looking fresh again.</p>



<p><strong>Sort your lawn</strong><br>First cut of the year (keep the blades high), a quick rake and a feed. And edge it if you want it to look sharp.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-and-finally-we-ve-got-to-ask-will-you-be-taking-part-in-naked-gardening-day-nbsp">And finally, we’ve got to ask… will you be taking part in Naked Gardening Day?&nbsp;</h3>



<p>No. Absolutely not. I don’t want to be&nbsp;<em>that</em>&nbsp;guy. Plus I think I’ve already given the neighbours enough to moan about — they don’t need to see that as well.</p>



<h3 class="wp-block-heading" id="h-quick-fire-round">QUICK-FIRE ROUND</h3>



<ul>
<li><strong>Beer or a brew?&nbsp;</strong>Neither. Orange squash. I’m basically a child.&nbsp;</li>



<li><strong>Early morning potter or evening unwind:</strong>&nbsp;Morning. I’m straight out there.</li>



<li><strong>Favourite plant right now:&nbsp;</strong>Hellbores. Mine are on fire this year.&nbsp;</li>



<li><strong>Garden centre weakness:</strong>&nbsp;Hostas, especially if they’ve got funny names&nbsp;</li>



<li><strong>What’s on your playlist?</strong>&nbsp;Epic film scores like Hans Zimmer, John Williams. I pretend I’m in the film.</li>



<li><strong>Dream garden:</strong>&nbsp;Japanese gardens. Top of my bucket list is to go to Japan in the spring and see the gardens and the temples.&nbsp;</li>



<li><strong>Best burger locally?</strong>&nbsp;My garden. I make a proper butcher’s burger on the barbecue. If you want a great burger, come to mine.&nbsp;</li>
</ul>



<figure class="wp-block-image"><img decoding="async" src="https://dev.muddystilettos.co.uk/warks/wp-content/uploads/sites/18/2026/03/Garden-Yourself-Happy.jpg" alt="Garden Yourself Happy by Jonny Hincks" class="wp-image-69921" /></figure>



<ul>
<li><em>Garden Yourself Happy by Jonny Hincks (Ebury Press, £16.99) Illustrations by James Yates, Author Photo by Charlotte Wilson</em>. <em>Get your copy <a href="https://www.waterstones.com/book/garden-yourself-happy/jonny-hincks/9781529976243" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">here</a></em>.</li>



<li>Meet Jonny at <a href="https://tobygardenfest.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Toby&#8217;s Garden Festival</a> at Powderham Castle, Kenton on sat 2 May 2026.</li>
</ul>


Garden yourself happy with Jonny: the firefighter bringing the feel-good to your flowerbeds

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