It is nearly three years since I visited Stockton Bury Gardens where Tamsin Westhorpe gardens. The gardens made a big impact on me and I am slightly horrified I have not yet returned and three years have passed. I need not feel too badly though as I can read about what I have been missing in Tamsin's book based on her gardening experiences called 'The Diary of a Modern Country Gardener'.
This is a beautiful book, full of fantastic photographs, practical tips and plant lists all within a context of down to earth real gardening experience. This is not a pretty twee account of deadheading a rose or two, this is a book that has humour and realism that is both informative and entertaining. I am not sure I have read a gardening book with discussions about appropriate cold weather underwear (these things matter). The December chapter is called 'A pocketful of mucky tissues', this scarily resembles my winter pockets in the garden. The book is written as a diary so we progress month by month through the year in the garden. I like that the year starts in February at snowdrop time and ends in January as I feel this represents how I see the gardening year as well. Each month is prefaced with a 'Toolkit', the things you will need to help you through the month and there is also a handy 'Things to do' list with items such as 'visit a bluebell wood' and 'clip box and yew hedges but check for nesting birds first'.
I would also caution you that if you buy this book you might need to guard your bank balance against the lists of must-have plants. They are indeed must have! After reading this book the outcome is of course predictable. I must revisit Stockton Bury this year.
I took the opportunity to ask whether Tamsin would answer The Questions; I was delighted that she agreed to do so and her answers are below.
The publishers of the book also kindly have agreed to let me give away one copy of the book. In order to win please leave a comment on this post telling me who your garden hero is by midnight on Tuesday March 3rd. The winner will be chosen at random and notified below so please do not leave an anonymous comment (I will not know who you are) and do check back. Terms and conditions for the giveaway can be found here. Good luck!
The Questions
Diary of a Modern County Gardener is published by Orphan Publishing
photo by Dan Chubb
This is a beautiful book, full of fantastic photographs, practical tips and plant lists all within a context of down to earth real gardening experience. This is not a pretty twee account of deadheading a rose or two, this is a book that has humour and realism that is both informative and entertaining. I am not sure I have read a gardening book with discussions about appropriate cold weather underwear (these things matter). The December chapter is called 'A pocketful of mucky tissues', this scarily resembles my winter pockets in the garden. The book is written as a diary so we progress month by month through the year in the garden. I like that the year starts in February at snowdrop time and ends in January as I feel this represents how I see the gardening year as well. Each month is prefaced with a 'Toolkit', the things you will need to help you through the month and there is also a handy 'Things to do' list with items such as 'visit a bluebell wood' and 'clip box and yew hedges but check for nesting birds first'.
I would also caution you that if you buy this book you might need to guard your bank balance against the lists of must-have plants. They are indeed must have! After reading this book the outcome is of course predictable. I must revisit Stockton Bury this year.
I took the opportunity to ask whether Tamsin would answer The Questions; I was delighted that she agreed to do so and her answers are below.
The publishers of the book also kindly have agreed to let me give away one copy of the book. In order to win please leave a comment on this post telling me who your garden hero is by midnight on Tuesday March 3rd. The winner will be chosen at random and notified below so please do not leave an anonymous comment (I will not know who you are) and do check back. Terms and conditions for the giveaway can be found here. Good luck!
The Questions
1.
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In which
garden do you feel happiest?
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It has to be
Stockton Bury Gardens. Five generations of my family have lived here and I
have many happy memories of playing here as a child with my sisters. I love
the fact that there are plants in the garden that were planted by past
generations of my family.
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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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Easy – my
Wolf-Garten hand rake (I use this without the extended handle), my Sneeboer
garden rake, a bucket, Felco secateurs and a folding Silky saw.
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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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The RHS Plant
Finder, the NGS Yellow Book, Claire Austin’s Book of Perennials, the RHS
Encyclopaedia of Gardening and I’m really keen on getting hold of my friend
Jean Vernon’s new book The Secret Lives of Garden Bees (I’m sure I’m going to
love this – comes out in March).
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4.
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What was the
most defining moment of your life so far?
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Losing my dad
(the book is in memory of him) when I was in my 20s. He was the most
wonderfully encouraging father and I suddenly realised that time is short and
very precious.
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5.
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What are you
most proud of?
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My gorgeous
son Herbie (known to my gardening friends as herbaceous!)
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6.
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If you won the
lottery, what would you do?
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Fill my shed
with Sneeboer tools, my fridge with Lurpak and my clothes drawers with alpaca
socks.
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7.
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Who are your
garden heroes (no more than three)
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I’m going to
pick people who are living, as so often our heroes have died, so to keep to a
happy note here’s my very-much-alive favourites. 1) The men that I worked
with in Bournemouth Parks department when I was 19. They worked in all
weathers and every day we laughed – I was so happy there thanks to them and
parks gardeners never get enough appreciation. 2) My uncle Raymond Treasure
and 3) garden designer Ann-Marie Powell. Her passion for the industry is
electric and infectious and she makes me feel happy.
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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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I would really
love to paint. I fancy sitting in my garden when I’m an old lady with pots of
tea, an easel, lots of dachshunds at my feet and wearing a madly over-the-top
hat.
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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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An NGS garden,
Vann in Godalming, Surrey. I used to play here as a child in the Gertrude
Jekyll water garden (I was completely unaware of the significance at the time
and I love the fact that the owners were so relaxed about it – I certainly
wouldn’t have been!). The house is simply wonderful and I have very happy
memories of collecting money on the gate for the NGS open days when I was at
primary school. A truly magical place.
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10.
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What is your
current plant obsession?
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Tulips, as
they are my husband’s all-time favourite and he is no gardener! He never
seems to mind me spending my pennies on tulip bulbs. I don’t think you can
ever have too many. My current favourite is ‘Brown Sugar’.
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11.
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Which garden
tool is never far from your hand?
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My Sneeboer
garden rake
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12.
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What is your
favourite gardening/plant related word?
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Good question.
Now let me think! I’m going for ‘FREEDOM’. There are no rules to gardening
and I just love that.
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13.
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What do you
wish you could do better?
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Paperwork. I
can keep a tidy garden but for some reason I just can’t organise my desk and
computer desktop. Ask anyone who has worked with me on magazines – they’ll
agree!
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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 support
other gardeners, local nurseries and garden media folk. Meeting people with
the same passion as you is life-enhancing and very beneficial to all.
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15.
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What makes a
perfect day for you?
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A visit to an
open garden or small specialist nursery. The trick to a great gardening day
is to find someone who enjoys a garden at the same pace as you. Obviously I’d
also like to come home with a boot full of plants and arrive to a meal cooked
by someone else!
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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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Don’t panic if
you fail at school – if you find a career that means something to you,
however off-the-wall, just go for it. Follow your passion and not the pay
cheque and your life will be all the richer for it. Work really hard, as
success won’t come knocking at your door. I believe that we are in charge of
our own destiny.
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17.
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Gnome or
no-gnome?
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Gnome. My late
great-aunt had a very old gnome in her garden and as children my sisters and
I would always head down the garden to find him. My sister now has this gnome
in her garden. One is enough though, and they must sit in an unexpected
place!
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Diary of a Modern County Gardener is published by Orphan Publishing