‘Leeks set me on the grow-your-own path’
The first plant I ever grew
Rather unglamorously, it was
Sedum reflexum. A clump of it grew in cracks of the patio of my childhood home. After declaring an interest in gardening, my parents gave me the biggest container on the patio and told me to do with it as I wished. First in were lots of cuttings from that long-suffering sedum, most of which took. My passion for plants was immediately ignited! Next in was a streptocarpus – possibly not the most natural partner to a sedum!
The plant that shaped the gardener I am today
Snowdrops. Watching the simple, graceful blooms push through, oblivious to the winter chill, has always fascinated me. A carpet of snowdrops sets spirits soaring on the gloomiest of days.
My favourite plant in the world
The sea thrift, Armeria
maritima. I love its tenacity – the way it clings onto the most precarious cliffs where most other plants would perish. It reminds me of happy holidays in the Isles of Scilly.
The plant that changed my life
Planting out leeks with my grandad as a young boy made me appreciate the origins and sheer delight of good, home- grown food. This humble vegetable set me on the path to grow-your-own bliss.
The plant that’s made me work hardest
I spent many hours in an herbaceous perennials nursery propagating varieties of the ornamental grass, miscanthus. Wrestling with clumps – literally muscling them up from the ground and stabbing at them with back-to-back forks to split them apart – gave me a whole lot of respect for these no-nonsense plants!
The plant I’d like to grow more of
Heritage varieties of tomato. I only have a small greenhouse and blight is a frequent party crasher. I dream of a polytunnel filled with luscious tomatoes!
The plant I am in human form
I love a cool, shady spot on a hot, sunny day, so I’ll settle for the smart-yet-unpretentious good looks of male fern, Dryopteris filix-mas.
The plant I’d always give away as a gift
Wildflower seeds for attracting bees. Everyone should grow a patch of native wildflowers in their garden and a packet of seeds has a great habit of sparking an interest in gardening in someone new.