Sara Davies had ‘absolutely no idea’ where to start with creating the ultimate outdoor hosting space - but her mum came to the rescue

Sara Davies is the ultimate host, but she’s never quite had the right space for a summer garden party. Until now.

Sharing the transformation journey she’s gone on to create a garden and an outdoor space that is fit for whatever the British summer can throw at her – from heatwaves to unexpected showers, Sara hit on something likely relatable to many of us out there - just how do you get started when you’re a beginner?

We’d all love a dream oasis in the garden, whether your aesthetic is more cottage garden cosy or perhaps a meadow of wildflowers and colour. When you have the big ideas but none of the expertise (yet), one should take a lesson from Sara - tap into someone who does. In this case, her 'Mam'.

Get started with some gardening essentials

Posting to her social media, Sara wrote, "A lovely garden was definitely on my list for 2026, and there's nothing better than doing it together with your mam! I had plenty of ideas about how I wanted it to look, but absolutely no idea where to start.

"Luckily for me, my mam loves gardening and knows exactly what she's doing…"

In the video, we then see how Sara and her mum make great use of their space, adding a simple plant border between her grass and the stone path with some raised beds. In her social media video, the pair are then seen tending to the plants with ease, made even easier by their accessible height.

Sara's caption continued, "Over the last few weeks, we've planted salvia, freesia, peonies, lilies, cosmos, astilbe, dahlias and hydrangeas, with sweet peas at the bottom of the rose arch, and it's already starting to come together thanks to her!

She continued, "I've genuinely loved having a project to work on together” before adding her mum has made no qualm about pointing out her “disappointing planting skills”.

But that’s perhaps the lesson we should all be taking away from Sara’s post. While we love perfecting our gardens with clever tricks and gorgeous trends, the real joy lies in just getting outside and trying. And it's proven to have mental health benefits, too.

Not every garden will, or should, look like an RHS Chelsea Flower Show plot. And freeing yourself of that pressure is what will make it so much better when you get out, invite friends or family over, and get stuck into a new hobby.

Whether you’ve got a sprawling garden, a little patch or an allotment, Sara has proven one thing – you don't need an expert green thumb to start. You just have to start and grow from there.