Gislingham, near Eye, gardener Ross Lee on his journey from being homeless to designing gardens for a living

For some, gardening offers peace and tranquility or a little space of their own – but for others, it has helped turn their life around.

Ross Lee had a troubled childhood. He found himself ‘lashing out’ and behaving badly as a youngster after his parents split up, and after he left school at 16, he found himself homeless.

For 10 years, he floated between hostels and the streets, until he came under the wing of a charity in Stowmarket.

The charity helped him get back on his feet, offered work experience and allowed him to pass his functional skills in Maths and English. After a few years, it helped him secure his own home, where he discovered his life’s passion.

Now 32, Ross’ garden at his home in Gislingham, near Eye – where he has lived since 2016 – is world famous and has become his main escape from his past.

Ross said: “Gardening really did save my life, and it’s amazing that I get to share it with other people.

“Being homeless was horrible, and it’s something I never want to experience again. It was not a nice experience, but I feel it did make me stronger

“When I moved into the house, I had a swimming pool which killed the lawn beneath it. After I had it removed, all the grass was gone.

“My mum suggested I grow plants. I knew nothing about plants, so I bought a little rose box from a pound shop. Ten months later the garden was in full bloom.

“Since then, I’ve opened my garden with the National Garden Scheme. And for the past year, it’s been my job to help other people design their gardens, and discover the joy I feel.”

Ross said he grew attached to gardening as it offered him his own space. He always liked interior design, and this allowed him to design something for himself.

Before this, he ‘never had [his] own house, let alone a garden’ – but having his own little space allowed him to discover his passion.

After getting the gardening bug, he began attending car boot sales to get deals, and his garden grew.

The hobby also gave him something to learn on a daily basis, he noted.

“When I started, I knew I liked the tropical look and I did get lots of flowers, but they require a lot of attention to maintain and have a short life, so you have to continually flower new plants,” Ross said.

“Eventually I discovered a love of foliage, ferns, bushes, grasses, anything leafier. You can still get some vibrant or bold colours going to get that tropical look, and it’s a far more relaxed gardening style.”

Ross changes his garden’s design frequently – and his most recent rejig allowed him to create more open space, so he can host friends and family.

It includes a geodome, a seating area, statues, a pond, and a living wall full of plants.

Ross lives on his own and maintains his garden by himself.

He said it’s easier to maintain his garden than it would be to properly look after a lawn, due to the need to cut it every week, aerate it, reseed it – ‘it’s a lot of work, and people don’t realise it’, he noted.

While he does have to do additional work to tidy up his plants in the autumn and spring, as well as watering them during hot weather, he prefers the more relaxed style of gardening.

However, there is also an emotional and cathartic element he gets from tending his garden.

Ross said: “I get lost in gardening and I get a rush when I’m doing it and I can get hyper-focused on whatever project I’m doing.

“When I’m helping others with their gardens, I can visualise what it’s going to look like in my mind. And when it’s finished I get that good feeling of satisfaction.

“I’ve created a beautiful base, and on top of that, I can see I’ve made people happy.”

While preferring more tropical and laid-back designs for his garden, Ross said he can apply a range of styles with customers, including woodland gardens or ‘Italian-style’.

Looking to the future, Ross said he’d like to create a garden for the Chelsea Flower Show.

Ross added: “It’s hard to describe the feeling I get when I'm in my garden. It feels magical, completely, and everyone's relaxed. It also takes all my stress away.

“I also think it’s important to share my struggles in life. From the outside people may look at my garden and assume I’m rich, but they don’t know the journey I’ve been on to get here.”

Ross can be reached via his Instagram: @rossleegardener.