Hello, I’m Kathy Rustell, the creator of Dan the Gardener & Friends. By day, I’m a website designer. By heart, I’m a lifelong lover of nature, gardening, and the magic of growing things.
Inspired by my passion for the outdoors, recycling, and environmental care, I created Dan the Gardener & Friends, a cheerful world of characters who live in a little seaside village called Three Little Woods. Through their stories and adventures, children learn about nature, kindness, sustainability, and caring for our planet, all in fun, imaginative ways.
As the stories grew, I realised something wonderful: nature has a special way of helping children who think, feel, and experience the world differently. Many children today have busy, curious, and creative minds, especially those who are neurodiverse or live with ADHD, and they often thrive when they have the freedom to move, explore, and create.
The outdoors encourages exactly that. A garden offers space to breathe, touch, and discover; it doesn’t ask children to sit still or follow strict rules. Instead, it invites them to use all their senses: to dig, listen, smell, observe, and experiment.
Through Dan the Gardener & Friends, we celebrate those moments, the calm that comes from watering plants, the focus found in planting seeds, and the joy of seeing something grow because of your care. These simple, grounding experiences can build confidence, reduce overwhelm, and spark creativity in incredible ways.
That’s where Dan the Gardener & Friends found its true purpose to help children (and their grown-ups!) reconnect with nature, creativity, and themselves.
On our blog, you’ll find stories, ideas, and fun activities to enjoy together, from building bug hotels and compost pots to learning how recycling helps the Earth. It’s all about exploring, growing, and realising that even the smallest actions can make a big difference.
🌍 Our Goal is Simple
- To inspire children to love the world around them and to make every child feel included, valued, and understood.
- To encourage families to live a little greener, one small step at a time.
- And to show that caring for the planet can be playful, peaceful, and full of heart.
We believe that by sharing these values, we’re nurturing a generation that will protect and cherish the natural world for years to come. Whether they’re planting seeds in a garden, tending herbs on a windowsill, or simply reading about Dan, Jake, and Skipper’s adventures, every small moment helps the future bloom a little brighter.
But above all, we want children to have fun.
Because when learning feels like play, it stays with them forever.
