For our very first interview we’ve asked Thérèse Lang, GROW London fair director, a few quick-fire questions. Discover what makes her smile and inspires her below:

Describe your garden/gardening style
Contemporary sculpture with traditional planting. The new with the old. If I could afford to have Cleve West design my garden, that’s my style!

Which garden has had the greatest impact on you?
Derek Jarman’s garden in Dungeness. It was the incentive for me to launch Westonbirt Festival of the Garden. Chaumont-sur-Loire – for the same reason. Kiftsgate, a lovely, tumbly garden with a contemporary twist. And anything by Kim Wilkie.

Who or what makes you laugh?
My brother, Mark Lang.

Guilty gardening pleasure?
Buying too many plants.

Which three words describe you best?
Don’t ask me!!

Your life motto?
Seize the day, you’re a long time looking at the lid.

Which tool couldn’t you be without?
My weeding fork that was designed by the wonderful Hortus Ornamenti. Irreplaceable.

Most unusual thing you’ve found in your garden?
A beautiful toad.

Biggest gardening disaster?
Trying to grow Meconopsis (blue poppy), should have known better…

Thérèse Lang is the fair director of GROW London and the director of garden event organisers TJM Associates.