Tanya Batkin is a Director of Vergette Gardens and is an award winning garden designer based in Worcestershire. She has designed medal winning gardens for the RHS Malvern Spring Show and is just about to go on a very big adventure. Tanya has been selected as the only, yes only, female garden designer to represent England in the Japan Flower and Garden Show, also known as the Gardening World Cup.
Whilst all this is going on Tanya still found time to answer The Questions.
The Questions
1.
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In which garden do you feel happiest?
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Where the garden meets the brook at the end of my
Mother’s garden. A place of swimming, lost shoes, haymaking and cider.
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2.
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If you could only have five gardening tools,
which would they be?
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My Macbook (it’s where I keep all of my gardening
notes), a pair of number 8 Felcos, a two pronged weeder (fork) which makes
hand weeding a doddle along with a border fork and my Great-Grandfather’s
spade, which has an edge like a razor.
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3.
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If you could only have five garden-related books,
which would they be?
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Geoff Hamiltons Cottage Gardens brings back happy
memories of the conversations with my Grandmother about gardens.
Plant Names Simplified - Johnson and Smith a
handy pocket sized book that gives you the pronunciation and the route of a
plant name. No need to fear botanical Latin with this to guide you.
A Flower For Everyday - Margery Fish. A
beautifully written book that I dip in and out of especially in the winter
months.
The Gardeners Illustrated Encyclopedia of Trees
and Shrubs - B Davis. Does what its says on the cover.
Hidden Natural Histories: Herbs - Kim Hurst.
Unlike lots of reference books this also includes
propagation and cultivation tips from one of the UK’s foremost herb growers.
Another dip in and out of book.
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4.
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What was the most defining moment of your life so
far?
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Professionally it would be the run on the banks
in 2007 which was the deciding factor in a radical career change to Garden
Design.
Personally it would be having my children.
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5.
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What are you most proud of?
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Tough question. I’m very proud of both my
children and my family, but really it would be my ability to make stonkingly
good compost - sorry kids!
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6.
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If you won the lottery, what would you do?
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Pay off our mortgage and build a show garden at
Chelsea.
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7.
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Who are your garden heroes (no more than three)
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George London - garden designer and nurseryman
c.1640–1714.
Geoff Hamilton who made me believe when I was in
my teens I could be a gardener when I had no money and no experience.
My Grandmother who had a joy of gardening and
passed it on though my Mother to me.
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8.
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What skill would you like to learn and why (does
not have to be gardening related)
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Photography.
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9.
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If you could visit any garden right this minute,
which one would it be?
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The Garden Of Cosmic Speculation.
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10.
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What is your current plant obsession?
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Trained fruit trees and annuals.
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11.
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Which garden tool is never far from your hand?
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Two pronged weeder.
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12.
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What is your favourite gardening/plant related
word?
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Hmm so many choices....Bastard Trenching....Mr
Cockburn and his Rubus....Mulch....... I think I’ll go for “Mulch” it has
such a gloriously earthy feel.
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13.
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What do you wish you could do better?
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Use my camera.
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14.
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What is the most important lesson you have
learned so far?
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To listen to what is being said but most
importantly to what is being un-said.
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15.
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What makes a perfect day for you?
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Tea and a peaceful place to drink it.
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16.
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If you had one piece of advice to offer to
someone what would it be?
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Go for it.
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17.
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Gnome or no-gnome?
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Hmm these are seriously tough questions......they
do say “There’s no place like gnome”
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