Hello & Welcome!
My name is Caroline Quentin. If you found this page it probably means that you're interested in gardening or perhaps illustration and art or you may know me as an actor and singer in television and theatre, either way Hello and Welcome!
I started CQ Gardens because I wanted a place to share everything I love most - the garden, the joy of growing things, and the drawings I make of the magnificent things that appear out of the mud. When I started sharing my garden on Instagram, I found a community of people who felt exactly the same way I did. That was the beginning of all of this.
Gardening has been a constant in my life for as long as I can remember - it's meditative, restorative, occasionally baffling, and endlessly joyful. I've always painted and drawn what I grow, so sharing my artwork felt like a natural extension of sharing the garden itself. My attitude has never changed: expertise helps, but it is absolutely not essential. Gardening should be fun.
I'm an actress, gardener, and illustrator, probably best known for Men Behaving Badly and Jonathan Creek. When I'm not on set or on stage, you'll most likely find me in the garden; tending to my vegetables, pruning roses and looking out for wildlife. My book Drawn to the Garden - a Sunday Times bestseller, shortlisted for the British Book Awards 2025 - is, I suppose, the fullest expression of what CQ Gardens is about: a life-long love affair with the garden, told through stories, illustrations, and the odd recipe.
Come and join me on the journey - whether that's through the blog, over on Instagram, or Facebook. I share what's happening in the garden as the seasons turn, bring my illustrations to life, and I genuinely love hearing from you. Drop me a message, ask a question, share what you're growing. That's the whole point of this.
You can also sign up to the newsletter below for garden updates, new products, and occasional musings from the potting shed.
If you're new here, a wonderful place to start is our bestsellers - the products that our community loves most, from the gardener's hand salve to our illustrated tea towels. All made with a little love, and a lot of mud.
