THEGARDENOFENGLAND
MEET THE GARDENER
MARK JAMES
Head Gardener , Mount Ephraim , near Faversham
Why did you want to be a gardener ?
To be honest I grew up not wanting to be a gardener . It was only on leaving art college and taking a temporary job here that I became involved and interested in horticulture . I have now been at Mount Ephraim for 28 years working for three generations of the Dawes family .
Where did you study ?
I think that as a gardener , you continuously learn new things , either from the advice of others , or through trial and error . Although I didn ’ t study horticulture at college , I have always been an advocate of having a good selection of reference books to hand and have made use of them regularly over the last 30 years of work .
Where did your interest in gardening begin ?
My father was an estate gardener for most of his working life , including the last thirty years before retiring here at Mount Ephraim , so gardening has always had a significant influence on the family as a whole .
What appealed to you about working here ?
As my father worked for so many years here , and we lived on the estate , there were many practical reasons to make working here appealing . It also helped by being familiar with the estate , the garden and the job , and well acquainted with the estate staff and family .
Describe your typical day
There is such a variety of jobs to be done in a tenacre garden , that it is difficult to describe a typical day . It is mainly continuous maintenance in the form of weeding and mowing , but obviously incorporates many different seasonal jobs as and when required , as well as conducting guided tours of the garden for our groups .
Who is your inspiration ?
I find all gardeners and plants people with a genuine , overriding enthusiasm and passion for gardening and horticulture inspirational , whether they are well known or amateur . People who are confident enough to garden in their own style , to their own likes and interests , rather than feel the necessity to doggedly follow other peoples ’ opinions .
What ’ s your favourite part of the garden ?
My favourite part of the garden is the mixed border . Being the area that I have had the most influence over , and presumably the one which most affects my personality as a gardener , it is the one area which I feel most protective of . It seems to be the section of the garden which visitors enjoy discussing with me , and it gives me a real sense of achievement and satisfaction to hear that the vast majority of them are suitably impressed .
What ’ s your least favourite part of the garden and how would you change it ?
My least favourite parts of the garden are those areas that we find impossible to keep up with and maintain during the open season , as we are a team of just two gardeners here . I am gradually altering these areas by reducing or eliminating the labour-intensive plantings and replacing them with flowering shrubs and small trees with changing , seasonal interest that once established , will provide a wealth of colour and a range of shapes and leaf forms , without requiring long term yearly maintenance .
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