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

Visit our new website - www.visitislandlife.com

101