Earliest garden memory The tiny balcony in the back of a shady New York brownstone where my family grew strawberries and chillies in pots, and also managed to squish around a table in one square metre of space.
First plant love Lonicera fragrantissima, winter honeysuckle. I was struck by its gentle floral scent (not too sickly sweet) and the joy it can bring on a dark January day.
Biggest inspiration My first gardening job was with a garden maintenance company in New York. My boss, Diane, with her gentle wisdom, kindness and trust, created the greatest team of gardeners and sparked an interest in gardening in me. Her way of working with people and plants is an inspiration to me still.
Gardens hold many stories and I’m interested in sharing them.
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- Harry Baldwin, head gardener at the Newt, on learning from failures and sustainable planting
- Alexander Hoyle: Kew-trained plantsman and designer
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- Meet the veg growers doing things differently
- Poppy Okotcha: Our gardens may be small but they are a patchwork quilt of opportunity
- An Interview with Sam Hickmott, the National Trust's youngest head gardener
Horticultural hero I used to volunteer at Dr Neil’s Garden, in Edinburgh, and Claudia Pottier, the head gardener there for 22 years, welcomed so many people to the garden, generously and effortlessly sharing her plant knowledge. She is who I want to be when I grow up.
For me, it’s always been about the story. Gardens hold many stories and I’m interested in sharing them
Favourite garden Last year I visited Little Sparta, and I am still thinking about it. It put me in a place of deep noticing, which called into question every detail, from a fallen leaf to a patch of moss on a bit of carved stone. It blurred the boundaries between gardening and art, landscape and life.
Three worthwhile tips One: remember that plants want to live. Two: it’s worth learning the origin and provenance of the plant. Three: work with the whole plant through its whole life cycle (a great piece of advice from Jo McKerr).
Favourite planting style It’s not one style, but I love the look of front gardens – the collage of different tastes, colourful shrubs and bedding plants, weeds and window boxes, awkwardly yet joyfully pasted next to each other.
How to be more sustainable Leaving room for mess – piles of leaves, a stack of twigs, a dead hedge – is great for supporting wildlife. I’m less convinced by the ubiquitous ‘bug hotels’. The best thing for insects and other invertebrates is a bit of mess, and it’s easier to accomplish.
It blurred the boundaries between gardening and art, landscape and life.
Core principles For me, it’s always been about the story. I like to talk to people about plants – what they do and where they come from. Gardens hold many stories and I’m interested in sharing them.
Career goals I’d like to make community gardens more dignified horticulturally and change the perception of what community gardens can look like. I’d like to challenge the boundary between ‘designer garden’ and ‘community garden’, which can both exist in the same place.
Instagram @wootcarleywoot
