Adam Frost has often spoken openly about the health challenges he and his family have faced, including his own experience with dyslexia and how gardening helped him cope
Samantha Masters Content Editor
20:00, 05 Dec 2025
Adam Frost also faced challenges at school due to being dyslexic(Image: ITV)
Gardeners’ World presenter Adam Frost has praised his son Oakley’s accomplishments following a “rough” period at school. Diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) during his teenage years, Adam said that his son “struggled” with education before leaving school to find “a purpose”.
ADHD is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects brain development and function, often causing difficulties with focus, following instructions, and maintaining attention.
Adam himself faced hurdles at school due to dyslexia, a common learning difficulty primarily causing issues with reading, writing and spelling.
Despite his educational struggles, Adam managed to turn his life around by carving out a successful career in gardening under the mentorship of the late Geoff Hamilton.
Reflecting on how gardening and professional guidance helped him succeed, he said: “Like any 16-year-old, who is a bit lost and a bit angry, those influences are so important. Being able to use your hands, and feel like you’re playing a part in something.”
Adam Frost proudly discussed his son’s achievements (Image: BBC)
Adam disclosed that his son has followed his path into a hands-on career, despite his challenging time in education.
Speaking on the My Time Capsule podcast, he revealed: “My boy, he struggled at school, he got diagnosed with ADHD just before his GCSEs. He had a rough old time and, like a lot of us, didn’t suit the system.”
Following a challenging time during his A Levels, Adam urged Oakley to consider an apprenticeship as an alternative. “He came out and did landscaping for a bit and he was alright, he was doing it, he enjoyed the hard stuff,” he revealed.
“And then, we’re surrounded by stone where we live and I suggested to him about stonemasonry.”
Merely three months into the apprenticeship, Adam observed a remarkable transformation in his son. “He’s carving stuff, he’s making stuff, he’s literally a different human being,” he expressed with pride.
“And when he comes home, he’s saying ‘So and so has shown me this’ or ‘Look what I’ve done,’ and you feel like, in the last few months, he’s found his purpose. He’s incredibly good at it considering how long he hasn’t been doing it, but you can just see a difference in him and that’s quite beautiful really.”
Adam Frost with his long-term wife Sulina(Image: INSTAGRAM/ADAMFROST)
Alongside Oakley, Adam shares three additional children with his wife Sulina – Jacob, Abi-Jde, and Amber-Lily.
During a past interview, he spoke candidly about the health struggles his family has endured, including Sulina’s battle with sepsis and his daughter’s eating disorder.
Speaking on the Loose Ends podcast, he revealed: “Her mum was in hospital and she ended up really poorly, she ended up with an eating disorder, like a lot of 15-year-olds, and she had friends going through it at school. So that took its toll.”
Speaking about how these difficulties shaped the family’s choice to move house, he went on to say: “Probably, in reality for the first time since I was about 16 years old – I realised that my life is slightly chaotic. So as a family, we’ve just decided to scale back, so I can spend more time with them – but it does mean I’ve got a smaller garden.”
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