My gardening world Gloria Hunniford
Gloria Hunniford OBE is a TV legend. A regular presenter on BBC1’s Rip Off Britain and Morning Live, this year she was unveiled as the singer behind Snow Leopard in ITV’s The Masked Singer. Born in Northern Ireland, she now lives with her husband Stephen in Kent.
The Queen’s Green Canopy (queensgreen canopy.org) is encouraging everyone to plant trees to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee this year – so how have you been getting involved?
We have a family home in France and one of my favourite trees there is a mimosa. So I decided I would like to try growing one in my own garden in Kent. Then I heard about the Queen’s Green Canopy, and as I admire the Queen enormously I thought right, I’m going to do my bit. I love trees anyway, so I have planted a mimosa tree. We’re always being told by David Attenborough we should plant trees to help the environment, and this makes it even more special.
How involved are you in looking after your garden – do you get your hands dirty?
Well I’d like to tell you I’m great at digging, but I’m not! I’m very good at planting up tubs and pots – I love putting colour back into the garden in spring. My garden is very important to me. One of the times I love more than anything is when the early mornings are very light, I love going out into the garden by myself with a cup of tea and just sitting looking at it all. I find it very peaceful – almost spiritual.
Did your parents have a garden when you were growing up in Co. Armagh?
Everything I know about gardening came from my father. He didn’t teach me, I just absorbed it. We lived in a two-up, two-down with a long back garden, and one half of the garden was a pigeon loft because my dad kept racing pigeons. The other half was absolutely laden with leeks, onions, salads, potatoes – whatever he was growing at the time.
Your charity, the Caron Keating Foundation (caronkeating.org) is named for your daughter, who lost her fight with breast cancer in 2004. Did she also find solace in her garden?
I remember Caron telling me sometimes she would go up onto this hill near her home in Cornwall and scream with frustration when she was battling her cancer. She always loved her garden: she fought her battle for seven years and that sanctuary was so important.