Tanya Anderson of Lovely Greens

Meet Tanya Anderson, organic gardener, soap maker, beekeeper, and green living enthusiast on the Isle of Man.

Hi! I’m Tanya and I’m so pleased that you’re here! I’m a lover of all things gardening and nature, including growing vegetables, hiking, making handmade soap, and eating. Yes, most of all, EATING. I’ve also found that by growing a garden I understand my food, the soil, and the wild creatures living around my home a lot better. It’s a connection that I hadn’t had before I found this way of life.

I share what love here on Lovely Greens and my ethos is live simply, grow your own, and make natural things. Aside from this website, I also have a YouTube channel, Instagram, and am the author of A Woman’s Garden. You can also support me directly and get exclusive content through Patreon.

Tanya Anderson is the creator behind Lovely Greens

Rediscovering Connection to the Natural World

Currently, I have two gardens — one around my home and the other on an allotment, rented gardening space here on the Isle of Man. I grow all manner of plants from tomatoes and raspberries to flowers that I can use in handmade skincare and soapmaking. I also have two colonies of honeybees, three cats, and a fantastic partner who supports and helps me (even when he’s not that thrilled about digging!). I’m also self-taught, though I grew up with a family that was a little old-fashioned. So keeping chickens, preserving food, and gardening wasn’t new to me. I’m so thankful for that early experience but when I was a kid, it was not considered very cool. Like many young people, I went to college and found myself a million miles away from home and anything earthy.

So there I was, fifteen years ago, commuting to work, doing the 9-5, and spending very little time outdoors. I wasn’t happy though and I realized that I had a major disconnect between the life I wanted to live and the path I was on. Lots of stress, dissatisfaction with my work environment and the commute, and a general feeling that I was missing something. It was through rediscovering gardening and old-fashioned living that I found myself. I also found that all so important connection to the natural world!

Grow your own medicinal herb larder with these ideas for plants to grow in a salve garden. Includes plants to infuse into healing balms to soothe eczema, bug bites, and minor burns and injuries #herbalism #herbalmedicine #apothecary
Beds filled with culinary and skincare herbs

Fresh Ideas for Growing Useful Plants

I share a lot of ideas for how you can find that same connection and it all begins in the garden. Growing food that nurtures body and soul, and using plants in creative ways. It could be growing flowers for handmade soap, vegetables for homemade meals, or herbs for health. I believe that our natural human habitat is equal parts nature, home, and community and that an edible garden can bring it all together. We really can improve our lives and the environment through growing and making our own.

Lovely Greens is about sharing with you what I’ve learned. How to grow herbs, vegetables, and fruit, and how to use them to make soap and natural beauty products. At the heart of Lovely Greens is the philosophy that gardening and traditional crafts bring us back to our roots as people. We were made to make!

How to Naturally Color Handmade Soap + Ingredients Chart: Plant-based and natural ways to color handmade cold-process soap. Includes natural soap colors listed by color, ingredient, how to use them #soaprecipe #soapmaking #handmadesoap
Naturally coloring handmade soap with herbs, flowers, and other natural ingredients

Getting started on Lovely Greens

First of all, I’d love for you to have my book. A Woman’s Garden is available through many major booksellers and also directly from me. You can also browse free ideas ranging from organic gardening tips to soap-making recipes through the menu at the top of the page or over here. If you like what you see so far, I’d like to invite you to get my free newsletter too. I update you on what’s new on Lovely Greens, share seasonal ideas, and links to the newest videos. It’s the best way that I can share ideas with you. Best of all, it just arrives in your inbox and you can read it at your leisure. Lastly, I publish new videos every week on YouTube. It’s there that I share my personal gardening spaces with you and share tips and creative ideas. You can subscribe here and make sure to click the little bell icon on my channel to get notifications for new videos.

Tanya Anderson is the author of A Woman’s Garden Grow Beautiful Plants and Make Useful Things

Organic Gardening & Natural Soapmaking

The two most popular topics on Lovely Greens are Organic Gardening and How to make Natural Soap. There’s a strong connection between the two because many of the edibles you grow can be used to make plant-based beauty products. Other topics I introduce include garden recipes, foraging, and beekeeping. Every piece is intended to show how to create a stronger bond with nature, the food we eat, and the products we use. There’s a lot of material covered on my site and you can use the top navigation to move around different topics. Here’s a selection of popular pieces:

Lovely Green on the Isle of Man

Oh, and before I forget! I live in a place that you’ve probably never heard of before — the Isle of Man. It’s an island made up of rolling green hills, forested glens, and only about 85K people. It’s in the middle of the Irish Sea and a few hours ferry ride from England or Ireland. It has a strong Celtic heritage and an island way of life that I love.

Though I am American, I moved away twenty years ago. I bounced around various places in Europe and through chance landed on this small island that I call home. If you’re curious about the Isle of Man I have many pieces sharing fun things to do here, local green initiatives, and some of the beautiful and ancient places you can visit.

When I’m not writing or making videos I’m giving soap making lessons, visiting my honeybees, and tending the home and allotment gardens. I also make a range of natural soap and beauty products at lovelygreens.co.uk

Thanks for visiting

I hope you enjoy exploring all that Lovely Greens has to offer and if you’d like to connect, you can find me at the socials below.

Happy gardening and making! ✌💚

Tanya Anderson is a proud member of the Garden Media Guild. The GMG is a professional organization for garden writers in Britain and encourages excellence in garden communication. Guild members are professional members of garden media and include authors, journalists, photographers, editors, broadcasters, lecturers, and artists.

Lovely Greens on social media

Awards & Honors

  • HGTV
  • BBC’s Gardeners’ World
  • Grow Your Own Magazine
  • The Telegraph
  • The Simple Things
  • Kitchen Garden Magazine
  • Grow Your Own Magazine
  • Permaculture Magazine
  • Flybe’s Flight Time Magazine
  • Yogalife
  • Country Homes & Interiors
  • Willow & Sage Magazine
  • Vegetarian Living Magazine
  • MTTV — Isle of Man TV
  • Manx Radio’s Women Today
  • Manx Radio’s Late Lunch Show
  • The Manx Independent
  • The Isle of Man Examiner
  • Manx Plants & Gardens Journal