During isolation at his home, the Old Parsonage in West Dorset, Charlie McCormick has developed an even keener appreciation for nature. “There have been so many uplifting times, whether it be the duck and chicken eggs hatching in the incubator—that magical moment watching life enter the world—or watching spring unveil in the garden and countryside, noticing every single bit of new growth,” he says. After sweeping the gardening and dahlia shows last spring with his otherworldly flowers and vegetables, McCormick is now working on his very first book and debuting his latest homegrown beauties exclusively on the Internet. “So much of my life in the garden has to do with the excitement leading up to those shows, and all the community that goes with them,” he admits. “But we’re all getting ready for 2021!” Until then, he continues to master the art of living well, both indoors and outdoors. —Ashley Baker

McCormick designed these borders at his home in Dorset more than four years ago. “They’re a tapestry of plantings—cottage gardens and lots of flowers that we can pick for the house throughout the year,” he says.

BAG: A Filson twill tote.
BEDTIME: Early!
BIRTHDAY: Any one that is spent in my native New Zealand with my family.
BREAKFAST, WEEKDAY: Boiled eggs, toast, and homemade marmalade.
CAR: A Morris Minor Traveller.
COCKTAIL: A Bloody Mary, followed by a gin-and-tonic.
DINNER: At home with friends.
DISGUISE: Invisible.
ESCAPE: Scotland.
FLAW: I blush whenever I talk. Maybe that’s not a flaw?
FLOWERS: Dahlias and daffodils.
HIDEAWAY: A bothy in Scotland.
HOTEL: The Oyster Inn, on Waiheke Island, in New Zealand.
JACKET: An old Barbour.
JUMPER: A Fair Isle.
LAST MEAL: Pesto pasta.

LUNCH:
A salad from Tamarisk Farm, a beautiful organic farm on the Jurassic Coast of Dorset.

NONFICTION BOOK: Plot 29: A Memoir, by Allan Jenkins.
NOVEL: Now and Then, by William Corlett.
PETS: Our dogs and cat—Mavis, Sibyl, Enid, and Henry.
PIECE OF ADVICE: Don’t worry about what other people think.
RESTAURANT: Odeon, in New York.
SAYING: “You can’t turn back time.”
SHOES: R. M. Williams boots.
SUIT: A tweed from Nigel Cabourn.
TELEVISION SERIES: Normal People.
TIME OF DAY: Morning.
VACATION: Staying at home.
VIEW: The west coast of Scotland.
WEEKEND: The Melplash Agricultural Society Show, which is traditionally held at the end of August in West Dorset. I’ll be back in 2021.

Charlie’s Essentials

Clockwise from top left: the Oyster Inn, on Waiheke Island, in New Zealand; a Morris Minor Traveller; Howlin’ Fair Isle sweater; R. M. Williams Sturt desert boots.

Photos: @instagram/mccormickcharlie (McCormick); Charlie McCormick (garden); Culture-Images GmbH/Alamy (Morris Minor Traveller)