Rev Coles: garden healed soul after husband's death

TL;DR

Rev Richard Coles discusses how his garden in East Sussex provided solace after his husband David's death in 2019.
During lockdown, plants David had sown emerged daily like bunches of flowers from him, healing Coles's grief.
Gardening links to spirituality through nature's cultivation, fostering meditation, hope, and contemplation of life's questions.

The story at a glance

The article is an interview with Rev Richard Coles, former pop star, vicar, broadcaster, and author, about his lifelong appreciation for gardens despite not gardening himself. He lives in Friston, East Sussex, with partner Dickie, a gardener, and credits gardens for spiritual and emotional support, especially after losing husband David Oldham. It's reported now amid spring gardening interest and Coles's ongoing public profile.[[1]](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardening-features/richard-coles-interview-garden-good-for-soul-crisis/)[[2]](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardening-features/richard-coles-interview-garden-good-for-soul-crisis)

Key points

Coles grew up in Kettering with a rose garden, vegetable patches, lilacs, and fruit trees tended by gardener Mr Whattam; he preferred sweets over planting.
Lived gardenless in 1980s London, then shared homes with skilled gardeners like friend Lorna and partners David and Dickie.
As vicar in Finedon from 2011 to 2022, loved ancient churchyard yews, including one that split in a storm, yielding red sap and sermon material.
Current three-tier garden on a hillside features chamomile lawn, lilacs, euphorbias, lavender, wild fuchsia, stumpery for wildlife, roses blooming into November, fig tree, irises, and crab apple for jelly.
Avoids dirt: hates digging and weeding, but handles watering, deadheading roses, and drain cleaning with gauntlets and wellingtons.
Sees gardens as meditative and spiritual, good for the soul through interaction with nature; they make him "switch on" to contemplate life like classical music.
Pessimist yet hopeful: gardens promise future beauty amid challenges, happening "by magic" for non-gardeners like him.[[1]](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardening-features/richard-coles-interview-garden-good-for-soul-crisis/)

Details and context

Coles's career spans Communards pop star, Anglican priest, Radio 4 presenter, and whodunnit author; gardening remains hands-off, shaped by childhood observation and partners' talents.

After David's 2019 death from alcoholism-related illness, lockdown grief hit hard, but the Finedon garden—planted by David—offered daily renewal, turning crisis into beauty.

Now in Sussex, the garden overlooks South Downs to Belle Tout lighthouse, ideal for lunches; his kitchen role complements Dickie's outdoor work, blending enjoyment with minimal effort.

Spiritually, gardens echo biblical Eden and resurrection cycles, negotiating nature's whims for hope—relevant as Coles promotes his new true crime book for children.[[1]](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardening-features/richard-coles-interview-garden-good-for-soul-crisis/)

Key quotes

“I was a wreck when my husband died. My garden was good for the soul.” – Rev Richard Coles.[[1]](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardening-features/richard-coles-interview-garden-good-for-soul-crisis/)

“Lockdown happened just after my husband’s death. I was a wreck, and I sat in the garden... every day was like a bunch of flowers from him. That was really, really beautiful and very good for a soul in crisis.” – Rev Richard Coles.[[1]](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardening-features/richard-coles-interview-garden-good-for-soul-crisis/)

Why it matters

Gardens offer accessible spiritual and mental health benefits, especially in grief or isolation, bridging nature and faith without demanding expertise.

For readers facing loss or stress, it shows passive enjoyment—sitting, watching—can heal as much as active work, with partners or memories providing the plants.

Watch Coles's garden evolve with Dickie's stumpery and lilacs, or future writings on nature's role in resilience.