Fiona Galley is a regular contributor to Modern Gardens magazine. A journalist since she graduated from Bournemouth University over 20 years ago, Fiona was a writer way before that, devouring books, writing creatively and bugging magazine editors to give her work experience from a young age. Her badgering paid off when she became lifestyle editor of regional magazine, DV8, while studying for her degree in journalism. As well as writing restaurant reviews and reporting on new club openings and events, she got to interview the famous, and the not-so-famous, from Jim Carrey and Salma Hayek to Paul McKenna and Linda Lusardi.
When Fiona moved closer to London, she landed the editorial assistant role for Family Circle magazine where she was twice nominated for The Unsung Hero of the Year award. Fast-forward four years and she’s styling shoots and writing makeovers, news pages, gift guides and garden buys for Woman’s Own before becoming lifestyle editor of Essentials magazine where her role was again eclectic!
After the birth of her second son in 2015, Fiona switched from her in-house role to a freelance one, contributing to print as well as online titles where she embraced her passion for words, eye for visual design and thirst for passing knowledge, practical advice and styling ideas on to the readers; there’s a reason her friends refer to her as ‘The Oracle’!
With two energetic boys to look after, life is busy but Fiona always allows time in the day to practise yoga, read and walk. She’s lucky to live by the sea as well as the woods and getting outside among nature is what fills her batteries and gladdens her heart the most.
Interior design has always been a huge passion, and still is, but there are only so many rooms in her house (and only so many plants she can fill it with) so this has ventured into her outdoor space. Fiona is a self-confessed lazy gardener so her plot is brimming with ivy, eucalyptus and laurels, but she does have a herb garden as she loves to cook (and er, drink cocktails!). She’s planning on an outdoor kitchen next –just a few teeny problems, one being that she needs to convince her husband to build it!). Watch this space!
