Sophie King

Sophie joined the Ideal Home team as Gardens Editor in June 2024. Her love of writing began as a child – spending a lot of her free time crafting fairytales or writing up wildlife projects.

After studying English at Royal Holloway, University of London, Sophie began writing for Grow Your Own magazine, which spurred on her love of gardening.

Sophie's tried growing almost every vegetable under the sun, and has a soft spot for roses and dinner plate dahlias. Her favourite rose variety is ‘A Whiter Shade of Pale’ and she loves 'Café au Lait’ dahlias. She's also a big fan of houseplants, especially orchids – she finds it impossible to resist adding more to her collection when visiting her local garden centre!

Sophie has interviewed a myriad of incredible gardening experts throughout her career, including guest stars on The Dirt, the gardening podcast she co-hosted during her time at Grow Your Own.

As Gardens Editor, Sophie's always on the lookout for the latest garden trend. She loves sharing growing hacks for every space, from herbaceous borders to compact balconies.

When she hasn't got her hands in the soil, Sophie can be found curled up on the sofa with her cat and a good book.

IDEAL HOME TRUTHS

Where’s your happy place?

At the end of my garden, there’s a gravelled area that’s secluded behind a trellis screen with a swinging bench. It’s incredibly comfortable, and I love lounging out there in the evening, surrounded by cosy festoon lights. Honeysuckle grows along the trellis and puts out a beautiful scent when it’s in bloom during the summer, too.

What’s your home addiction?

Orchids! I’ve been obsessed with them since I was a teenager, and they make a lovely feature in my bedroom. I’m especially fond of the light pink Dendrobium varieties.

What is your next home project?

I want to continue working on my bedroom. There’s a wall I’d love to make a feature out of with some nice wallpaper, so I’ll be hunting through the catalogues to find the right design.