Jo Whiley shares her colourful and thriving garden as an uplifting ode to Dolly Parton's passing

Being amongst the florals and flora can bring some much-needed comfort in difficult times

picture of pelargoniums and cut out of jo whiley over the top
(Image credit: Getty Images / Dave Benett)

Luckily, it's not every day we experience bad news, but on the chance we do, our gardens are a fantastic place to find solace and joy. And Jo Whiley has shared her blooms with us the day after the sad passing of country icon Dolly Parton.

Whilst we don't always see sorting out our gardens as a therapeutic task, there's no denying that being outside amongst the flowers and wildlife is unbelievably good for the soul. And when bad news does arrive, like hearing about Dolly's passing yesterday, our plants can be a good place to find solace and a touch of reprieve.

Sharing her garden on her Instagram today (@jowhiley), Jo Whiley spoke fondly of the musical icon and how sharing her colourful, thriving flowers is a way to add some brightness to our day.

When such a beloved star passes away, it's never a surprise to see wonderful tributes pouring in across the world. King Charles himself has honoured the singer and her charitable work, and there continue to be waves of support and love across the internet.

Jo has posted her own tributes, with a reel this morning shared to help spread some colour, positivity and love, just as Dolly would have done.

"The morning after the passing of Dolly, I think everyone's just processing a world without Dolly, so I thought I'd give you some garden colour just to brighten your morning," starts Jo.

"This is how the garden's looking at the moment. I've managed to keep these flowers going. I've been talking all summer about how amazing pelargoniums are for colour, and they're really easy to look after as well, and geraniums. So get yourself some of these for next year," she adds.

picture of pink pelargoniums growing in garden

(Image credit: Getty Images)

Choosing plants that flower for a nonstop, vibrant plot means no matter the season you find yourself in, your garden will be blooming with colour ready to cheer you up.

"Also anemones, which are the gift that keeps on giving and some boscobel roses, which are the brightest and best. And talking of the gift that keeps on giving, here are the dogs- that's Goose and Django," says Jo as she pans around her country garden.

"Don't forget everybody, today what do we have to do? We have to be more Dolly," she finishes.

We will definitely be holding onto that sentiment and think of Dolly every time we head into our gardens or enjoy a touch of pink in our plots.


If you want to truly create a space where you can go outside and find some peace, then learning how to make a sensory garden can be a great idea.

Emily Smith
Digital lifestyle writer

Emily joined woman&home as a staff writer after finishing her MA in Magazine Journalism from City University in 2023. After writing various health and news content, she now specialises in lifestyle, covering unique cleaning hacks, gardening how-tos, and everything to help your houseplants thrive.

You must confirm your public display name before commenting

Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.