Who has inspired your careers? We have shared a career from college to our current position at Knepp – we’re horticultural partners in crime. A huge influence for both of us has been a network of incredible professional women gardeners in Sussex, with whom we have worked for years, sharing jobs, knowledge and raising families.
Favourite garden The Old Vicarage in Firle, East Sussex at the foot of the South Downs. It was designed by Lanning Roper and was the first garden we worked in together. Moy still cares for it today and has done so for 18 years. It is a dreamy series of walled gardens, tended with love for generations, which you can feel in every corner.
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Worthwhile tips Use a good-quality moisturiser, with SPF. Get to know your plants like you would a person – where are they from, what are their likes and dislikes? Don’t be afraid to experiment and play – death is a natural process.
A huge influence for both of us has been a network of incredible professional women gardeners in Sussex
Favourite ‘weed’ At Knepp, we reframe weeds as plants that have arrived under their own steam, and they get full consideration in terms of their place in the garden.
Biggest challenge facing gardeners today The only constant now is the extremes of our climate and unpredictable weather conditions. It’s important to learn and accept the way your garden moves and changes.
What can people do to garden more sustainably? Repurpose everything you can before buying in something new. Look outside your own garden. How do you connect to the wider landscape and what part does your space play? Connectivity instantly allows us to have a greater impact, creating corridors linking nature, people and resources.
We’ve evolved alongside the garden. It’s freeing to be able to experiment, and a privilege to reflect upon and record the garden’s development
How have you found the transition to a rewilded garden? It’s been an intense journey of discovery – from dominating the space to thinking of ourselves as part of the ecosystem. We’ve evolved alongside the garden. It’s incredibly freeing to be able to experiment, and it’s a real privilege to reflect upon and then record the garden’s development.
Pinch-yourself moments Sir David Attenborough filming in the garden. It was the height of the Covid pandemic, so we couldn’t actually meet him, but it was so exciting to even be in the same space as him. Attending the premiere of Wilding, the film about Knepp. And the arrival of our first pair of beavers on
the rewilding project was also a highlight.
Instagram @moyfierheller @suzi_turner_ @kneppwilding