Earliest gardening memory Harvesting fresh Charlotte new potatoes with my sister in my grandmother’s coastal garden in Scotland.
First plant love Laburnum anagyroides. We had one outside our kitchen window growing up. I always remember the warm yellow flowers appearing in late spring. And Ornithogalum nutans, which grew in wild abundance in the long grass.
Don’t fret too much about making mistakes; it’s all part of the process, and plants can be very forgiving.
Favourite ‘weed’ The ribwort plantain, Plantago lanceolata.
Inspiring mentors I would say a mix of painters and gardeners. Painters for how they observe and feel nature. Pierre Bonnard in particular. And Tom Stuart-Smith for his depth of understanding of plants and landscape, and how he harnesses that knowledge and experience in his gardens.
You may also like:
- Gardening for wildlife doesn’t have to mean untidy: meet designer Will Tomson
- Flower farmer Cel Robertson: 'The most stressful thing about my job? Climate change'
- 7 easy ways to rewild your garden
Horticultural heroes Tom, of course, and Piet Oudolf and James Hitchmough, all for their strength in plant knowledge and landscape and appreciation for plants and nature on a scale beyond just gardens and gardening.
Favourite garden and landscape Serge Hill and Hummelo for their planting, and Rousham for its sense of peace and calm. A landscape that has influenced me is the coastal landscape in Scotland where I’m from.
Nature has guided everything for me and been at the root of how I approach all gardening tasks.
Three most worthwhile tips Enjoy it. Don’t fret too much about making mistakes; it’s all part of the process, and plants can be very forgiving. Use good-quality tools and look after them. Mulch, if you are growing plants that require high-nutrient value – and be generous.
Most valuable training My fine art degree, my year at Inchbald School of Garden Design, and consistently gardening and working with plants. Dream plant destination Northeast Turkey for its meadows in July. I’m going this year.
We need to align ourselves more closely with climate change and how we create and maintain spaces with ecosystems that are as diverse as possible.
Biggest challenge facing gardeners The environment and climate change, and how we work with it rather than fight it.
One easy thing to be more sustainable Have a really healthy compost heap and reduce watering. If plants demand too much water, compost them and replace them with tougher, more drought-resilient plants.
Guiding principles Nature has guided everything for me and been at the root of how I approach all gardening tasks. As a gardener I want to help plants perform and be the best version of themselves.
In what direction do you see horticulture heading? We need to align ourselves more closely with climate change and how we create and maintain spaces with ecosystems that are as diverse as possible. Our planting palette will have to adapt to this, which is something we must embrace.
Do you have a particular aim in your gardening career? I’d like to see more plants in the wild.
Contact: studio@milliesouter.com @millie_souter