Going GREENER

every year. Their soil was pale and dry. I sent a sample to the RHS for testing and they found that the nutrients and organic matter were severely depleted. I realised that we all need soil to survive.

WHAT’S THE STATE OF SOIL IN THE UK?

Intensive agriculture has caused our arable soil to lose 40 to 60 per cent of its organic carbon, while putting paving and Tarmac down in our gardens and parks has depleted the soil underneath of nutrients. It takes 100 years for nature to make a centimetre of soil. Globally, we’re losing it much faster than it can be replenished.

CAN WE SAVE IT?

We can. Composting is key, as this puts organic matter back into the soil. And the more soil with plants growing in it, the better. Roots stabilise the soil, while tree canopies protect it against wind and rain. I would also avoid paving, so that you allow the soil to breathe. Failing that, choose a permeable variety that lets the rain seep through.

ARE CHEMICALS OFF-LIMITS?

I used to spray chemicals but stopped after realising I was about to get rid of some black and yellow bugs in my garden that were ladybird larvae. Pesticides also damage microorganisms in the soil. Healthy soil shouldn’t need fertiliser: its structure will hold onto nutrients. Encouraging natural predators, such as ladybirds, frogs, hedgehogs and birds, should be all the pest control you need.

HOPING FOR A GOLD MEDAL AT CHELSEA THIS YEAR?

I was honoured to win Gold at Chelsea in 2016 for the Modern Slavery Garden, but getting visitors to experience a garden is as important to me as winning an award. I hope it will make people see soil in a new way. After the show, The New Blue Peter Garden: Discover Soil will move to its permanent home at RHS Bridgewater in Salford. I’d like it to encourage children to value the earth beneath their feet.

…AND WHAT ABOUT THAT COVETED BLUE PETER BADGE?

I’ve finally got one! I became a professional gardener in 1997 after five years as a doctor. I’d always loved the outdoors – I grew up in the grounds of a boarding school in Surrey, where my mum worked, and I created my own rockery. But back then, a gardening career – and a Blue Peter badge – were distant dreams.

The New Blue Peter Garden – Discover Soil at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show (24-28 May 2022).