Episode 150: Head Gardeners

This week, I’m talking Head Gardeners with Ambra Edwards; why she chose the ones she did to feature in her book of that name, the diverse range of tasks they undertake and what makes a good one. I ask Ambra what prompted her to write a book about some of the legendary and some of the unsung heroes of the horticultural world and if she could swap places with one, whose boots would she choose to fill. 

Dr Ian Bedford’s Bug of the Week: Gooseberry sawfly

This episode is sponsored by gardencourses.com. gardencourses.com offers online horticultural training for those looking to develop their own, home gardens. The lasted course to be added is Create Your Garden Sanctuary - you can go to gardencourses.com to find out more. 

What we cover

How Ambra chose the head gardeners included in the book

Is there any such thing as a typical head gardener?

Some of the unexpected roles the gardeners in the book have to perform

How much gardens are expressions of the personality of the head gardener

Is it stifling for a head gardener to stick to historical plans/designs and not inject their own creativity into a space? 

What makes a great head gardener? 

Gardening as a profession 

About Ambra Edwards

Ambra Edwards is a journalist with a special interest in garden history, and the people, passions and often surprising stories that lie behind our gardens. Three times voted the Garden Media Guild's Garden Journalist of the Year  (2006, 2009 and 2015), she is a regular contributor to the Guardian, the Telegraph, Gardens Illustrated, Hortus and Country Living. Her most recent book is The Story of the English Garden (Pavilion, 2018). She lives in Dorset. https://www.pimpernelpress.com/ambra-edwards

Links

www.ambra-edwards.com

https://www.pimpernelpress.com/head-gardeners-2

www.gardencourses.com