Our Story
First of all, welcome. Thank you for showing interest in Mother’s Garden and in our family story.
Mother’s Garden has never been just a trademark. It began as a home, a way of life, and a wholehearted commitment to living close to the land. For over twenty years, my parents, Maggie and Martin, loved and nurtured this small farm, embracing both the beauty and the challenges of rural life. They shared that experience openly through television documentaries, books, articles, and, most importantly, with the thousands of people who came to stay. Thank you to everyone who has shown interest and support over the years, and who has become part of the Mother’s Garden story.
The story began in January 2001, when my parents moved our family — my brother Joe and me, then very young — to the mountain region of the Priorat in Catalunya, half an hour from the Mediterranean in north-eastern Spain. From the beginning, they sought to live as self-sufficiently as possible, learning to respect the richness of the land, its biodiversity, and its culture. At the heart of everything was the table, and at the heart of the table was olive oil — something they felt compelled to share.
We lived on the fringe of the wild Serra de Llaberia mountains, among groves of olives, almonds and hazels. Our nearest village, Marçà, is home to a deeply community-minded, table-centric culture, rooted in the traditional Mediterranean diet where freshness, seasonality and good produce shape everyday life. Through neighbours, friends, fellow parents at the school gate and the people they worked alongside, my parents came to understand the value of time given to food — and how that time naturally creates space for conversation, laughter, resolution and understanding.
No other food captures the wisdom of this culture more clearly than the juice of the olive: a true superfood, sustainably farmed, and central to healthy, fulfilling lives. From this understanding, Mother’s Garden as a brand was born.
Today, I, Ella, have taken over the running of Mother’s Garden. While we no longer live on the farm itself, our roots here remain strong. We continue to work closely with our local community, collaborating with our trusted cooperative mills in Masroig and La Serra d’Almos, and with small farmers from our corner of the Priorat, to bring you our extra virgin olive oil.
Arbequina is the main olive variety in our region, and its juice has won awards around the world. Every harvest is a collective effort. Alongside olives from our original land, we work with local growers — sometimes contributing just a single crate — because every olive truly counts. Sharing the work, supporting one another, and helping to sustain this community are among the greatest gifts this life has given us.
Looking ahead, our intention is to return to the land more fully in the future. While we do not currently farm our own land, acquiring and nurturing new ground remains part of Mother’s Garden’s journey. Until then, we remain committed to the people, the place, and the values that have always defined us.