My Life in Plants
The first plant I ever grew
My first plant was a fuchsia. I loved growing them in all their various forms and learned how to take cuttings while at horticultural college.
The plant that shaped the gardener I am today
It has to be Mexican feather grass, Stipa tenuissima. I adore adding grasses and sedges to my gardens and designs as they just add so much to a border, whether it be tall ones like miscanthus or small, evergreen carex. I find they work well in every design.
My favourite plant in the world
I love the tree fern Dicksonia antarctica for all the drama and glory it always brings to a shady corner. I know they aren’t hardy or fit into everyone’s style of garden, but there’s no better feature plant than this. I’ve been fascinated by them ever since I was a young boy starting out in gardening.
The plant that made me work hardest
I really wanted to include lupins in my border exhibit at BBC
Gardeners’ World Live flower show this year. A combination of mildew, slug damage and snapped stems caused havoc, so two weeks before the build I had to go out and find replacements that were big enough to fill the gaps. Thankfully, it all worked out.
The plant I’d like to grow more of
I’d definitely like to grow more cottage garden plants. My first gardening book was Geoff Hamilton’s Cottage Gardens. I also looked after my nan’s garden, once I’d finished making mud pies and digging holes in it! She inspired me to become a gardener and my recent border at BBC Gardeners’ World Live was for her.
The plant I am in human form
I think I’m box, Buxus
sempervirens. It’s strong, robust, performs in all weathers and is able to take any number of knocks. While building my garden exhibit this year, my mother said I was something very prickly, possibly a thistle!
The plant that helped shape my life
I just like being around all things green. During my recent struggle with depression, it was time spent in the garden and going out for walks in the countryside that helped get me through the dark time. My parents’ garden was my happy place.
The plant I’d always give as a gift
It would be good all-rounder
Lavandula angustifolia ‘Hidcote’. The perfume of English lavender is second to none, and it can be grown in borders or pots. It’s also loved by bees and butterflies.