Deirdre O Meara 
A mum-of-three from Birmingham has become a dedicated naked gardener, joining the growing army of people who regularly dig, pot and trim in the buff. Rose Wall, 39, says she loves gardening nude because it’s so freeing and celebrates nature and being natural. She also loves showing her children that she celebrates her body, saying naked gardening is her chance to show them that she loves her “wobbly bits”. Rose admits that initially, the thought of someone taking nude pictures was terrifying, but after enlisting her 12-year-old to do the camera work during lockdown, she loved the results and has taken part in World Naked Gardening Day annually ever since.
Rose has always loved gardening, but until she bought a four-bedroom detached house with an overgrown back yard in Birmingham in 2015, she had been in rental properties. Now she is proud of her sprawling cottage-style garden, which is sectioned into vegetable patches and flower beds to attract butterflies and bees as well as potted plants and thriving bushes. Initially, Rose gardened fully-clothed or in a swimsuit, but in 2020 she decided she wanted to show her kids how proud she was of her body.
“My kids occasionally see me running from the bathroom if I am late, and I have always been open about my body shape,” she says. “It’s important kids learn to celebrate all different shapes and sizes no matter how much they complain or look shocked. The older kids do worry they’ll bring pals home and I’ll be in the buff in the garden wearing a hat, wellingtons and gloves. They always check.”
In lockdown, Rose saw an advert for World Naked Gardening Day and decided to give it a go. Short of a photographer, she enlisted her 12-year-old to do the camera work. Although her kids thought she’d gone bonkers, Rose loved the results and shared the images on social media. She received overwhelming praise and support, with many people telling her how amazing it was to see a “real mum-of-three” showing off her body in a positive way. Some fans commented that Rose was brave and inspiring. However, she also received negative comments from trolls, who told her to “put it away” and called her shameful.
Rose says that the trolls’ negativity inspired her to post even more images. “I love getting the last laugh,” she says. “My friends told me I was brave and wished they had my guts. The support of my mates was amazing.” Since 2020, Rose has taken part in World Naked Gardening Day annually and admits each time her photos show her confidence with her body growing. The kids are now teens and have got sick of being asked to play photographer, so this year Rose took her pictures using a timer which proved a challenge.
Rose admits she hopes the neighbours don’t get an eyeful. “I am lucky my garden has an extra high fence,” she says. “I haven’t ever had a complaint. My buff gardening pictures expose way less than many bikinis on Instagram. There was scaffolding up one year for building works, so I gardened after the builders finished. It was too hot in the middle of the day to tackle the weeds anyway.”
Rose’s dedication to naked gardening is a celebration of her body and all the amazing things it has done, including giving birth to four children. She hopes to inspire others to embrace their bodies and celebrate them in all their natural glory.
