About Me

I was born and raised in Lancashire, England and throughout my childhood I was lucky enough to be surrounded by beautiful countryside, dogs, horses, and English perennial gardens. My mum and grandma were both avid gardeners, and over the years I too have become a passionate and avid gardener in their footsteps.

I attended postsecondary education in England and qualified as a Registered Occupational Therapist in 1985. I worked in hospitals in Cambridgeshire and Norfolk for 3 years before emigrating to Ontario in 1988.

Whilst in Ontario, I worked as a Registered Occupational Therapist in several hospital settings, in the community for many years and in private practice. I became a STOTT Certified Rehabilitation Pilates Instructor in 2002 and worked in a Physiotherapy Clinic setting, my own home-studio and at our Community Centre - all while working as an Occupational Therapist.

I retired from my Occupational Therapy career after 21 years when I moved to Fenelon Falls with my family in 2006. I opened a home-based Pilates Studio (Oak Street Pilates) in 2007 where I taught for 15 years. My instruction specialized in rehabilitation Pilates for clients with a variety of medical and physical conditions, continuing to utilize my rehabilitation skills. I permanently closed my Pilates studio in the fall of 2021 mainly due to the on and off COVID restrictions, which seriously impacted small home-based studios.

I now have more time to focus on my passion for helping people stay active and enjoying their gardens in their elder/senior years.

The inspiration for “The Companion Gardener” came from my Grandma’s experiences in later life. She lived independently in her own bungalow in England until she was 95 years old and for 30 of those years she was alone, after my grandpa passed away. She loved her gardens and became frustrated when she wasn’t physically able to tend to them the way that she wanted. I know she was also lonely much of the time and a regular companion would have been a great asset, especially in her later years.

I feel that my many years as a Registered Occupational Therapist, my passion for gardening and my love of interacting with like-minded seniors will be of benefit to the community.