HOME + GARDEN
MEET THE GARDENER
TONY WISEMAN
Head Gardener , Penshurst Place and Gardens
THE STUNNING GARDENS AT PENSHURST PLACE AND GARDENS ARE SET WITHIN 48 ACRES OF GROUNDS , INCLUDING THE 11-ACRE FORMAL GRADE I LISTED GARDENS .
Where did your interest in gardening begin ?
I ’ ve always worked outdoors – it started for me as a teenager when I worked on farms and in agriculture in general and it naturally moved into gardens .
Why did you want to be a gardener ?
I didn ’ t grow up wanting to be a gardener , but I always really enjoyed the work I had been doing , and when it naturally progressed into gardens and horticulture , I enjoyed that too ! When I first got into gardens , my ultimate goal was to lead the horticultural work within an historically significant garden which is what I do here at Penshurst Place . It would be remiss of me not to mention as well that the benefit of working here over remaining in agriculture is that the risk of being kicked by a cow is significantly lower !
Where did you study ?
I studied in Northern Ireland , at the Greenmount campus of the College of Agriculture , Food & Rural Enterprise .
Who was your inspiration ?
I really enjoyed how Geoff Hamilton worked . It was gardening without faff , without bells and whistles , just simple , honest gardening with a great amount of respect for what you ’ re working with and developing .
How long have you worked at Penshurst Place ?
Just over 5 years now .
What appealed to you about working at Penshurst Place ?
The gardens here are historically significant . The history of Penshurst Place and of the Sidney family are laced through the evolution of the gardens , they have always been of the utmost importance to the family and now serve as a living family album , telling the story of how each generation of the Sidney family have made their mark here since they took ownership in 1552 .
Describe your typical day ?
It ’ s ever changing – with such a big garden there ’ s a big mix of being both proactive with job planning and maintenance alongside being reactive to the day-to-day running of a garden .
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