As I write this at our large oak table overlooking the garden, I gaze upon a lush sea of plants and blossoms. Despite the hot, dry summer, the plants have thrived and are already lush and green.

One of the most important aspects for me when designing a garden is the view from inside to outside. After all, we spend most of our time during the day and throughout the year indoors, rather than in the garden itself. As it has been proven that simply looking out onto greenery boosts our sense of well-being and reduces stress levels, it is well worth taking care to design the views from the house thoughtfully.

Near Flensburg, in the Danish town of Gravenstein, lies Gråsten Palace, the summer residence of the Danish royal family. The palace includes the kitchen garden, which was opened in 2020 by the then Queen Margrethe.

As a garden designer, I want to encourage people to incorporate approaches from therapeutic gardens into their private and business outdoor spaces. Every bit of greenery in our surroundings benefits both us and the environment (think climate adaptation and biodiversity). Even the smallest outdoor space can be transformed into a green oasis with often minimal effort.

After a long winter and frosty nights, the first plants have finally been able to move into my new studio garden.

For the past few months, I've been planning a special garden project: transforming our own small city garden into a studio garden. Essentially, a show garden where I can demonstrate my garden design style and the potential of small gardens, and where I can experiment with plants, learn, and teach.

Every day, we move around in a wide variety of spaces. Each of these spaces has an influence on us – whether consciously or unconsciously. When we are surrounded by nature in these places, it does us good. Mentally and physically.

A series of show gardens have been laid out on the edge of the extensive estate grounds. What makes them special is that they are all small gardens, making them the perfect inspiration for outdoor spaces in cities or new housing developments, which are often limited in size.

I captured three of my favorite flowers on paper with watercolors. A kind of ever-fresh summer greeting :-)...

It took a few more years before I actually sold my agency and got out of this higher-faster-further life. Since then, nature has come back into my life bit by bit...

This is where it all began. That may sound dramatic, but that's how it was. This is where my fascination with spaces and their atmosphere began. I was perhaps 14 or 15 years old when I first came here, and I was captivated by the interaction between nature, architecture and art.

Common sense tells us that people feel better in pleasant, airy rooms surrounded by greenery than in anonymous concrete jungles.

My hand-painted watercolor cards are featured in the February issue of the German magazine "Wohnen & Garten," which just came out today...

I also have some brand new Christmas motifs available as printed Christmas cards: a straw star, an Advent calendar, and a Christmas tree...