Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2010 | Page 101
gardening
Island Life - August/September 2010
University to read geology. He then
24. But luckily they let me in, I did the
cost of running the place with retail
worked briefly in the geological survey
Kew Diploma and that changed my
activities and any funding strategies,
industry in the North Sea, recalling: “I
entire life. I started in Kew and became
and we are always working hard on
got paid ridiculous sums of money for
manager of the nurseries, doing all the
that.”
a youngster in his early 20s, but hated
plants for two show houses and the
every minute of it.”
300-acre garden.
Eventually he began working at
“I was raising plants from all over the
So what is Simon’s next project on
the stunning site? “I lie awake at night
thinking of things I want to do. I think
London Zoo looking after primates, and
world, which was fantastic. I learned
for the next couple of years I have got
when he was abroad on a study trip
about plants, but I always go back to
to market the place much more,” he
he met a group of botanists looking at
the wonderful aspect of working in
says. “People have to be aware that the
rain forests. That, he says, is when the
a parks department in London. That
Isle of Wight has a fantastic Botanic
penny dropped, and he realised plants
is where I learned all my practical
Garden, and I am setting that as a goal.
were important for all living things.
horticultural skills under an old boy
“Without plants there would be
“We know what we can grow here,
who taught me so much – all the things
and I have the garden pretty well
nothing, so I knocked on the door
you need to know to be a practical
defined, so I want to crank up the
at Kew Gardens and said I wanted
hands-on gardener.”
quality of the horticulture. Now we
to know about horticulture,” he
As the sun beat down on Ventnor,
are as far developed as we are, we
said. “Basically they told me to go
Simon continued: “We have had a
can up the quality and presentation.
away because I knew nothing about
strange couple of years, because of the
People know about us because we have
gardening. So I went to work in
fuss of travelling overseas, volcanic ash
nearly 300,000 visitors a year. But we
commercial horticulture in Lincolnshire,
and the fluctuation of the money; we
have never really hit the high life, and
and then got a job with the London
have seen a definite increase in people
presented ourselves through Hampton
Borough of Ealing Parks Department,
to the gardens.
Court or Chelsea Shows. I would really
doing their apprenticeship scheme.
“We had our best April and May since
like to do that. I want to get on a
“I went back to Kew and asked if I
the visitor centre opened 10 years ago.
bigger stage, and present just what we
could then start work there, and they
Remember this is public open space so
have here. It would be great for tourism
told me I was too old at the age of
we don’t charge. We have to meet the
and great for raising awareness of the
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