'My Destiny Lay In Working With Trees'

I grew lots of small seedling trees when I was younger, as I was very interested in bonsai.

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The first plants I ever grew

I grew lots of small seedling trees when I was younger, as I was very interested in bonsai. I collected seeds on my travels and marvelled at the way they grew. I managed to shape some amazing bonsai, my best being a yew, Taxus baccata. I think from an early age my destiny lay in working with trees!

The plant that shaped the gardener I am today

As part of my horticultural journey I spent my younger days working in garden centres and grew particularly fond of berberis. While probably not an obvious choice, I was amazed by the massive variation of different species. I came across these plants many times during my career and always felt they were underappreciated in terms of their beauty.

My favourite plant in the world