Tucked away on a quiet street between two of Copenhagen’s central

boroughs, behind the original brewing grounds of Carlsberg, lies a

small collection of houses dating back to the 1800s. In a red-brick,

two-storey house lives Malene Lei Raben, an author, lawyer and gar-

dener.

Malene welcomes us into her garden on a warm and sun-drenched

summer day. A thick hawthorn hedge shields her garden from street

view, and upon opening the wooden gate and stepping into the pa-

rameters of her outdoor space, we feel as though we have been trans-

ported into a different world. We are greeted by a microcosm of nat-

ural wonders: cherry and apple trees and tall acacias stand between

cottage-style perennial flower beds brimming with an abundance of

flora in a kaleidoscope of colours. A kitchen garden boasts an array of

edible treats — potatoes, cabbages, onions, courgettes and raspber-

ries, to name just a few.

A woodland garden and wild meadow in miniature are tamed by

clipped evergreens and box hedges, a gravel path winding its way

In 2017, Malene took the big step of saying goodbye to her comforta-

ble corporate job in favour of pursuing her dream of becoming a full-

time writer.

“I was so fed up with my corporate career. When you choose to take

a leap of faith from a full-time job, you wave goodbye to status and

security and embrace uncertainty. It’s like being a child and learning

to walk again. But I was never nervous. In my old life, I was more

nervous as I was trying to fit in where I just didn’t always fit in. Having

to adapt to being tough and bossy – firing people and so on. Now I

can be 100% my authentic self.”

Malene made her authorial debut in 2019 with Fruen – The Lady – an

autobiographical novel about growing up in the flower-power era of

the 1970s where the emancipation and self-realisation of adults left

little room for a secure childhood.

“Initially, I had started to write more of a work of fiction,” Malene

tells us. “But I had to throw it out and start writing from scratch.

between the various sections.

Malene greets us while taking

in the garden. As she shows us

around, she points to different

species of flower, explaining

how some colours are deter-

mined through cross-pollina-

tion by a robust bee population.

Aside from bees, there is a thriv-

ing presence of insects, birds and even bats. The latter are a new ad-

dition, and something Malene is very excited about, and she recounts

how each species contributes to the garden’s overall health – apart

from, perhaps, invasive slugs, which she exclaims with consternation

have been on a visit the night before.

As we walk with her through the lush greenery, Malene fondly picks

at and prunes bushes and flower beds until she is suddenly wrestling

an armful of rhubarb the size of a small palm tree. Smiling, she dubs it

‘garden CrossFit’, and we seat ourselves under the shade of a parasol

in the company of refreshments and a jug that boasts a fragrant bou-

quet of freshly cut wildflowers.

“For some people, the upkeep of a garden is a stress factor,” Malene

tells us, “but for me, it’s a creative space that brings healing and hap-

piness. It makes me feel rooted to the earth. The garden grows, and

it allows me to grow. The more time you spend in nature, the more

you learn – about biodiversity, about ecology, and about beauty, too.”

It is hard to imagine that as such a passionate gardener, Malene has not

always been so immersed in nature, but she insists that before mov-

ing into Villa Albion twenty years ago, she did not have very green

fingers. Malene’s journey to becoming a havemenneske, or ‘garden per-

son’, which is the title of her latest book, has unfolded throughout the

journey of her life:

“When I was little, I wanted to be an opera singer, but I ended up

following in my mother’s footsteps to become a lawyer.”

Malene’s CV boasts an impressive array of high-profile positions,

from attorney to COO to managing director at several large media

houses while also moonlighting as a television pundit and freelance

columnist.

“I specialised in facilitating the work of creative people,” she explains,

“but I wanted to be creative myself.”

It’s difficult to write something

true, sincere and good. You

must be true to your own voice.

You have to let go of shame and

self-criticism. If you bring those

things into the office, you’ve lost

already. You must be on your

own side. I’ve spent a lot of my

life not being on my own side.

The whole world can criticise you so you shouldn’t. You must believe

that your voice matters.”

After publishing her first book to much critical acclaim, Malene set to

work on her second novel. But then came Covid, and as she so aptly

describes it, “everyone went outside.” And that is how the idea for her

next book was born.

“The garden became even more important. I could feel safe and alive

there. I could forget that I was in the middle of a global pandemic.

I just couldn’t understand why it was so alluring. So I sat down to

find out why. How do you go from a person who kills their indoor

plants to a person who spends all their time outdoors? Exploring the

process of becoming a gardener, the practical and emotional journey

of that.”

Malene’s latest book is a new take on gardening. Instead of approach-

ing the subject technically – “there are plenty of those already – and

good ones!” – she decided to write a gardening book that reads as

a novel. Examining the historical development and cultural signifi-

cance between humans and their gardens, Malene observes how our

relationship with nature has shifted over the years.

“Gardens are a middle ground between the city and wild nature. Gar-

dens used to be a way of shielding yourself from wild animals and

enemies, but today people use them to shield themselves from the

modern world – from noise, the urban – and to protect wildlife. Today

we are alienated from nature. In the garden, you immerse yourself in

the natural world and discover that we humans are just another part

of nature.”

After leaving her comfortable corporate job in 2017, lawyer Malene Lei Raben

made her authorial debut in 2019. With her latest book, ‘Havemenneske’, she

shares her passion for gardening with the world.

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“For some people, the upkeep of a garden

is a stress factor, but for me, it’s a creative

space that brings healing and happiness.

It makes me feel rooted to the earth.”