Mark Diacono, of Otter Farm, will be one of GROW London’s guest speakers at the fair in June. Here he reveals a guilty secret or two and provides us with a glimpse into his gardening world.

Describe your garden/gardening style
Perennial edible, forest garden

Favourite London garden/outside space?
Chris Achilleos’ north London allotment, which he opens for the NGS*. An incredible and beautiful blend of edible and ornamental.

Guilty gardening pleasure?
An ill-advised glass or two

Which tool couldn’t you be without?
My copper trowel

Who or what makes you laugh?
Bill Murray, Stewart Lee

Most unusual thing you’ve found in your garden?
A very large TV, deposited by a flooding river

Your lucky break?
That when we found the land for Otter Farm, it was a time when you could pretty much borrow what you like.

Flowers or veg?
Veg

Biggest gardening disaster?
In the tractor, running over a particularly hard-to-come-by peach tree.

When you’re in your garden, what do you spend most of your time doing?
Eating

Favourite book?
I’m reading The Goldfinch, by Donna Tartt, which is in danger of becoming my favourite.

*Chris Achilleos’ allotment is open to the public on Sunday 10 August, 2014, or group visits can be arranged during the summer. More details can be found on the NGS website.

See Mark at GROW London this June, 20 - 22. Details will be confirmed soon, so do check back to see what will be on at the fair.