Chloe Hurst, 29, has always been attracted gardening.
Growing up, her mother made sure she was always “in the dirt” by helping her with projects, so when Chloe moved to her own home in Ontario, Canadait was only natural that she should start with her own garden.
At first she started with the standard plants that were available at local stores like Home Depot, but when Chloe's friend opened a nursery, she was inspired by the “beautiful black petunias” she had on display. She knew she had to recreate her own version – and take it to the next level with her own 'gothic garden'.
“I've always had a darker aesthetic,” she tells Metro.co.uk. 'When I saw that, I went into spiral mode and decided I had to blacken my entire garden.'
That was about five years ago, and Chloe is still looking for more.
As a brand designer and graphic designer, branding is 'ingrained' in Chloe, so if she is interested in building and adopting a certain aesthetic, she will 'go all the way'.
“I've always been into the Gothic culture with the music, the architecture and the style of the house, and I thought, why not bring it outside and create this really cool atmosphere?” she adds.
It's not just her garden that is inspired by this Gothic aesthetic; the interior of her home follows a similar pattern.
'I wanted to paint every room in my house black. My whole house is very gothic, dark and moody, and the whole purpose is too [for it] to feel like a haunted castle even though I live in a one-storey bungalow,” she laughs.
Channeling this aesthetic through her gardening is therapeutic for Chloe; it serves as a distraction from the hustle and bustle of the online world. She has built a significant following on TikTok: 89.7K, and now she inspires others to learn more about gardening.
“Gardening is literally sticking yourself in the ground,” she recalls.
'It's a moment for me to completely disconnect from the digital world and just relax. It's a labor of love – you come out of a garden session covered in mud and scratches from the rose bush, but it's rewarding and it just feels so good to connect with nature.”
In her home she says she is “terrible” with houseplants and has a habit of killing them, but she has successfully grown some raven ZZs and shamrocks.
These are Britain's most hated gardening tasks
Gardening has a number of advantages: it is a good form of exercise, it has a soothing effect and it provides support good mental health.
But that doesn't stop some of the tasks needed to keep our gardens looking beautiful, and sometimes they feel like chores.
According to research by Garden shed shopweeding tops the list, with 40% of people admitting that it is the most annoying gardening task.
This is followed by raking, digging and felling trees, followed by pruning hedges, planting and watering plants.
So, what is it about dark plants that attracts Chloe? For her, the appeal lies in the fact that they are both rare and 'mysterious'.
'Dark plants are very mysterious, but you don't see them that often. People ask me all the time, “is this a filter?” And I think that's what's intriguing about that color, because as much as I love a colorful garden, there's something super toxic and mysterious about it,” she says.
Although some of her fans assume she has a huge garden, Chloe only has limited space.
However, she has put her own spin on it with a few 'stars of the show' – and some of her favorite elements are the black mondo, the Arabian Night Calais with 'dark purple and white speckles' and the tulips.
Although Chloe doesn't plan to stay in her current home forever, she still has plans for her beloved gothic garden.
'The aim is to own a Victorian house with a large garden, but that won't happen anytime soon,' she says.
'What I'm doing now is just working on the actual structure of my garden. We're getting a new fence this year because it's falling over, and I'm building a stone border around it.”
So, what advice would Chloe give to others wanting to start their own gothic garden? First: patience.
“When people first start gardening it's very exciting and people want it all to happen at once, but really just enjoy the process,” she suggests.
'Part of the fun is hand-selecting pieces for your garden. When you get everything at once it can be overwhelming. Enjoy the process – it may be long, it may be short, but just enjoy it.
'Be sure to take a look at your zone. Zone sun requirements, so watering and what works well in your area, understand what perennials and annuals are in your area. Do your research and enjoy the process.”
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