My Life in Plants
The first plant I ever grew
After sowing parsley when I was six or seven, I remember being frustrated that no seedlings had appeared after a few days, but was told to be patient. The surprise and excitement of seeing those first leaves emerge weeks later is still with me today.
The plant that shaped the gardener I am today
Seeing white-flowered, evergreen shrub Carpenteria californica
at Ednaston Manor, Derbyshire, on a sunny, south-facing wall in the 1970s impressed on me the widely differing conditions plants need and that those conditions can, if carefully considered and planned, exist in one garden.
My favourite plant in the world
There’s no doubt in my mind that sweet peas are my favourite – their diversity and fascinating history are a constant joy.
The plant that changed my life
I started working on Impatiens
walleriana as a plant breeder, and eventually it brought about a move to a research facility in the USA. From there, I travelled to horticulturally important locations all over the world and was given the chance to observe the local floras and meet many plant ‘nuts’ in the process!
The plant that has made me work hardest
Tomatoes have filled my life, from a small boy eating them to the present day. My first job was as a tomato breeder and, after various career changes, I’ve returned to my starting point, with tomatoes figuring highly again in my daily life. The plant of which I’d love to grow more
I love delphiniums and they could easily have been my favourite plant but I put them under this heading because the potential for breeding new types is incredible. The traditional English border delphinium is a true aristocrat among plants.
The plant I am in human form
I think it must be an English native and Viola tricolor fits the bill. A plant of the meadow, rather straggly and can spread easily if not kept in check, but hopefully the bright little flowers cheer people on their way!
The plant I’d always give away as a gift
Allium ‘In Orbit’, bred by my friend and colleague Henk van der Velde, is a remarkable plant flowering in late summer for six to seven weeks and usually covered with pollinating insects.