Earliest garden memory Making miniature gardens out of rocks, logs and various uprooted weeds in a sandbox.
First plant love The earliest plants I remember growing were busy Lizzies and sycamore seedlings on the windowsills back home in Ireland. But the first plants I was really excited about growing were gloriosa lilies. I grew them inside on bamboo canes and loved how exotic the flowers looked.
Who has inspired your career the most and why? Jimi Blake. I first started working at Jimi’s garden, Hunting Brook, when I was 19. I enjoyed his approach to plants and how he uses them as well as his fun perspective on gardening.
Favourite landscape or garden that has influenced you My general enthralment with the rural Irish landscape lives on, especially in Tipperary where I grew up, with the mixture of rolling hills and mountainous backdrops.
Use plant from every plant group for an interesting garden
Three most worthwhile tips for every gardener Use the internet for new information and ideas. Use plants from every plant group – grasses, shrubs, self-seeders and bulbs – for an interesting garden. Learn to garden more holistically and not just for aesthetics. A scorched-earth policy for ‘weeds’ is rarely necessary. There’s no shame in some general untidiness, which is great for wildlife.
Most valuable training Studying horticulture and land management at university in Ireland introduced me to extraordinary places, such as Hunting Brook Gardens and Lismore Castle Gardens, that defined and shaped gardening as an occupation for me from a young age. But my time spent at Great Dixter has been like nothing else. To spend a year not just learning new skills but reaffirming old ones has been a pleasure. As has meeting so many fantastic people.
Favourite planting style A mixture of wild, blowsy and whimsical with some formal elements.
Favourite weed you are happy to have in the garden Cow parsley or meadow buttercups. Preferably both.
There’s no shame in some general untidiness, which is great for wildlife
Biggest challenge facing gardeners today The issue of pay is important. Pay within horticulture has remained relatively stagnant in comparison to, say, electricians and carpenters, whose services are perceived as being more in demand. Skilled gardening jobs at interesting locations rarely pay well
enough to fund modern-day living. A greener future for all is fantastic, but we need to see the worth and value in welltrained horticulturists with a decent wage to accompany it.
One easy thing that every gardener can do to be more sustainable Use peat-free materials.
What principles have guided your attitude towards gardening For as long as I can remember, biodiversity has had a huge part to play in my approach to my work. I think this comes from an early age where my equal interests in animals as well as plants have shaped that approach.
Favourite gardening Instagram I’ve always enjoyed Charlie McCormick’s Instagram feed (@charliemccormick), and I also enjoy that of previous Dixter scholar Colin Stewart (@colindavidstewart).
Instagram @theskintgardener
Find out more about Great Dixter at greatdixter.co.uk