Adam Frost has revealed that a period five years ago, when his wife was hospitalized with sepsis and his daughter battled an eating disorder, led to his diagnosis of burnout and depression. Speaking to the iPaper, the Gardeners' World presenter described it as the year "the wheels came off" for him and his family.
"Five years ago, the wheels came off as Mrs Frost and one of the kids became poorly," he recalled. "We had this huge house with a big outdoor space that I was totally disengaged with, so we moved and simplified life. Reconnecting with a smaller garden was incredibly cathartic. I watched my wife get better as we created it together. My biggest problem at the moment is that I don't want to be anywhere other than my garden."
Diagnosis and recovery
Adam, a father of four, has previously discussed this challenging period, which prompted him to see a psychiatrist. In 2023, he appeared on Lorraine, revealing that he had been diagnosed with burnout and depression after contracting Covid in September 2021.
He told Lorraine Kelly: "Mine was borne from Mrs Frost ending up in hospital. Bless her, she was in there for 11-12 weeks, and I could go in there for an hour a day. And then going home and telling four kids everything was fine."
He added: "During that time, child number three, she ended up with an eating disorder partly out of that. But we slowly got through that. Then 10 days later, I got locked in a room with Covid and sat in front of a head doctor telling me you've got burnout and depression. And I'm going, really? I only went in the room with Covid."
Therapeutic gardening and new book
In a separate interview with Gardens Illustrated, Adam confirmed that after the diagnosis, he eventually saw a psychiatrist. "We talked about everything from my childhood to where I am now, which is a bizarre story in itself. We also talked about why plants and gardens have played such a big part in my life and something I was less aware of - my connection with music," he said.
These discussions inspired his book, For the Love of Plants: Over 150 Plants to Bring Joy to Your Garden and Your Life, released last year.
