Specialities

• Photographer
• Public Relations
• Social Media Influencer
• Videographer

Sonya Whaley Planting Design Diploma, Professional Gardener City & Guilds

Probationary Member

Biography

Sonya Whaley is a planting designer and content creator whose work blends horticultural expertise with inventive, story-led communication. A Distinction graduate of the London College of Garden Design, she was praised for her “originality of thought”. Her path into design grew from horticultural training at Capel Manor and several years as a self-employed gardener, following an earlier career in Finance and time spent living in Japan. Sonya runs the planting-focused YouTube channel Plant Yo’ Pitch Up, which has gained over 110,000 views and 1,200 subscribers, and she is part of the Social Media team for the National Garden Scheme in London, where her team’s work has significantly increased online visibility. She enjoys interviewing gardeners and growers, inspiring audiences, and helping people build creative confidence through plants.

Additional Interests

Still a Japanophile, I also LOVE big-leaved plants which naturally requires frequent trips to far-off places, lol. Currently building a garden of my own, "An Ode to London" in celebration of my adopted home these past 20 or so years. I welcome collaborations with other content creators and, like most of us, enjoy a really good knees-up with gardening friends and wider friends alike.

---