From Darkness to Dahlias - How One Nerja Resident Cultivated a New Life
Not every story of expat life in the sunshine starts with paella and poolside afternoons. For local resident Catherine Saunders, her journey to the hills of Axarquía began in darkness, both literal and metaphorical. Once a high-flying marketing professional with global brands like Pepsi and Sony on her CV, Catherine’s world came crashing down when she was struck by severe Myalgic Encephalomyelitis (ME).
It’s hard to imagine now, seeing her pottering in her vibrant garden or signing books under the name Lady Muck, but there was a time when Catherine couldn’t walk, talk, or even sit upright. “It was like being a breathing corpse,” she says, describing the years she spent in a darkened room, relying entirely on family care. But slowly - minute by minute, plant by plant - she began to grow back into life.
A Garden That Grew Her Back to Life
It all started with a single potted plant. “When I was trapped inside, that plant became a symbol,” she recalls. “Something inside the house that was living and growing.” From five-minute moments on a garden chair to full-blown outdoor sessions, Catherine’s recovery found rhythm in the soil. And from this green-fingered revival, her alter ego Lady Muck was born.
With humour and heart, Catherine began writing gardening books and magazine stories that blend honest storytelling with hands-in-the-dirt tips. “I want people to see that gardening doesn’t have to be all hard work,” she laughs. “It can be joyful. Silly. Therapeutic.”
Her first book, however, came from a very different place. Understanding Severe ME: An Essential Guide for Family & Friends , was written to help others navigate the isolating, misunderstood world of chronic illness. It remains an important resource for families supporting loved ones with ME, offering clear, compassionate guidance from someone who’s lived it.
Since then, Catherine has written several more books, including the delightfully witty Grow Your Own Food, Lady Muck Style, which blends practical gardening advice with the warmth and laughter of someone who knows how to find joy in even the smallest victories. And now, she’s turning her pen in a new direction - working on her first novel.
Finding the Light in Frigiliana
In 2019, Catherine and her family moved to Frigiliana, one of the most charming pueblos blancos in Andalusia. The decision was more than lifestyle - it was medicine. “After three months, I couldn’t believe the difference. The sun, the fresh food, the pace of life… my pain started to ease, and walking didn’t hurt anymore,” she says.
She credits much of her successful Spanish gardening to the wisdom of her neighbours. “Just watch what your Spanish neighbours are growing! They know the land and are always happy to share tips,” she advises. Her top pick for herbs? Red basil—flavourful, easy to grow, and as bold as her writing.
Life in Balance with ME
Catherine is open about her ongoing relationship with ME. Every day still requires careful pacing. “I’ve had to learn to listen to my body, to stop before I feel tired,” she says. It’s a lesson in presence many of us could stand to learn - celebrating small wins, honouring rest, and finding purpose in each day.
The Lady Muck persona helped her find laughter again. “She gave me purpose,” Catherine says simply. “And she let me laugh, even when life was still really hard.”
These days, you might find her sitting in stillness among the lavender and tomatoes, meditating in the soft morning light or gently placing her hands over her plants, sending them a dose of Reiki energy. Her connection to the garden isn’t just physical—it’s spiritual. “It’s all part of the healing,” she says. “For the plants, and for me.”
A Gift with Roots
Grow Your Own Food, Lady Muck Style is more than a gift for the gardeners in your life - it’s a story of hope with a how-to twist. Catherine’s website offers even more musings, planting guides, and updates on her writing life here in Axarquía, and now wellness too!
Catherine’s story is one of resilience and quiet reinvention. From blackout curtains in the UK to bright blooms in Spain, she has cultivated a life rich with colour, laughter, and meaning. And in sharing that journey, she reminds us all that sometimes, the smallest seed can change everything.
Over time, Catherine’s writing has also expanded far beyond gardening. Through her website and magazine-style reflections, she now writes openly about wellbeing, self-care, chronic illness, modern life, travel and the often complicated journey of learning how to truly look after ourselves.
‘“I´ve become deeply passionate about being well “ Catherine explains, “mostly because, for a long time, I really wasn’t.”
Her reflections are not written from the perspective of someone claiming to have found a perfect formula for happiness or healing, but from someone who has slowly rebuilt life piece by piece after severe illness. With honesty, warmth and humour, she shares the lessons she wishes somebody had shared with her earlier - from pacing and self-care to emotional wellbeing, resilience and learning to live more gently in a fast-moving world.
“There’s no single path to healing or happiness,’” she says. “We’re all wonderfully, infuriatingly unique. But perhaps something in my journey might help somebody else feel a little less alone.”
It is perhaps this openness that makes Catherine’s writing resonate with so many readers. Whether she is talking about tomatoes, meditation, chronic illness or simply the importance of slowing down, there is always the same underlying message running through her work: growth does not have to be perfect to still be beautiful.
Postcards From Andalucía - Travelling Series
Alongside the more reflective pieces, readers have also fallen in love with her wonderfully funny travelling series - Postcards from Andalucía, where Lady Muck shares the often chaotic, occasionally glamorous and very real mishaps of life in southern Spain. From cultural misunderstandings and gardening disasters to everyday adventures in Andalucía, her writing captures both the beauty and humour of expat life with warmth, honesty and a healthy ability to laugh at herself along the way.
Her books, articles and latest projects can be explored further on links below.
Understanding Severe ME
Lady Muck Books: Grow Your Own Food, Gardeners Big Puzzle Book , Gardening Planner.
Travel Series By Catherine:
Contact:
Website: Ladymuck.style
Facebook: ladymuckstyle Instagram: ladymuckstyle
Review: The Bridget Jones of Gardening! “Very entertaining, fans of Lady Muck will love it, and anyone looking for a stocking filler, light reading for commuting or a holiday read will relish it.”
So next time you pass a garden gate in Nerja or Frigiliana, take a moment. You might just spot Lady Muck at work - proof that even in the rockiest soil, something beautiful can grow… after all, even a lotus blooms from the mud.
