Let's dig in, soil sister

"Frumpy and not very sexy," my friend, who likes to call herself a 'career tiger' declares. Clearly, she is not crazy about this season's gardening theme. "Plus, is it even feminist?" she adds, as she takes another sip of my homegrown herbal tea. (We're in my garden, ironically her favorite spot). First of all, I think gardening is very sexy. The artistic self-expression, the self-sufficiency in a world of broken systems, the sensuality of sinking your fingers into moist soil - quite the opposite of frumpy! And feminist? Well, I could actually understand her skepticism. Dismissing domesticity, the women's lib movement of the 1960s instilled the idea that 'real' power could only be found on the work floor, as far away from the kitchen and garden as possible. Meanwhile, stereotypical expressions of femininity - heels, lipstick, lingerie - were replaced with unisex denim dungarees: the uniform of a 'real' feminist.

Thanks to third-wave feminist pioneers such as Madonna and yours truly, we now know that a woman can kick ass in heels and lead a country in bright red lipstick. M|D was born out of the realization that femininity can be our superpower, as long as we can explore it on our own terms. Building on the efforts of our dungarees-wearing, feminist godmothers, I came up with the term 'Feminine Feminism', the name of the magazine you're holding. Since then, I never stopped looking for ways to empower women through their femininity. And yes, that sometimes meant reclaiming traditional ways - from the ancient Japanese art of seduction to the joy of cooking - raising a few 'old-school' feminist eyebrows in the process. ''When I chose Julia Child* as my muse a few seasons ago, you said I was 'sending women back to the kitchen'. And now, you can't stop making your own jam", I remind my friend, pouring her another cup of tea. "You helped me discover that cooking gives me joy." she admits. "Well, finding your joy is power. Who knows, you may be shopping for a garden hoe soon," I tease. "Or even better: become one myself!", she laughs as she takes off her top to catch some rays amidst my lavender bushes.

Joy is one of the many things I hope to unearth with you this season in my garden. Joy, beauty, creativity and lots of great stories. Together with British gardener and bestselling author Alice Vincent, I explore why gardening is so hot amongst young women right now, while sharing ways to 'rewild your own secret garden' in a juicy how-to article. We get inspired by phenomenal female gardeners from the past, from unlikely garden fanatic Marie Antoinette to Victorian horticulturist Gertrude Jekyll, known as the most influential gardener of all time - male or female. And to be able to get our fingers dirty in style, I designed a fabulous 'Gardenista' Couture Collection, my twist on the iconic denim dungarees worn by gardeners and feminists alike. Yes, the female gardener and (feminine) feminist have more in common than you might think. Both dare to dream. Both claim their space to grow. Both are planting seeds for a better, more beautiful world. Are you ready to join our garden party? Let's dig in, soil sister! I promise it will be 'plantastic'.

* Legendary American chef