GROW LONDON’S EXPERTS 2016
Meet the gardening and design gurus who led the talks and workshops at the fair in June.
PATTIE BARRON
A renowned garden journalist, Pattie’s regular gardening column appears in the Evening Standard’s Homes & Property.
She also writes features on design and interiors for the section, and contributes to other well known titles including The English Garden and Good Housekeeping. Formerly, Pattie was the beauty editor of Cosmopolitan and the New York Daily News.
TOM COWARD
Having worked alongside Fergus Garrett at Great Dixter for 3 years Tom was appointed Head Gardener at Gravetye Manor in 2010. A great believer in experimenting with old and new, Tom embraced the challenge of restoring William Robinson’s former garden, becoming an advocate of his “wild” gardening style.
Tom is also a regular columnist for Country Life Magazine.
MARK DIACONO
Mark is busy working on his Otter Farm Kitchen Garden school. Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall says “What Mark’s been doing at Otter farm is inspirational. What he’s planning to is one of the most exciting things in British horticulture.“
Mark is a food writer and grower, and has written seven award winning books based around what he grows and cooks on Otter Farm, including ‘A Taste of the Unexpected’, which won the Guild of Food Writers’ Food Book of the Year 2011. Here’s a film on Otter Farm.
TOM HART DYKE
Tom shot to fame in 2000 when kidnapped in the Colombian jungle whilst on a plant hunting expedition. Unsure of his fate he spent much of his 9 months in capture planning his dream garden. Since his return Tom embarked upon creating his gardening ‘World’ in his ancestral home of Lullingstone Castle.
Now a well known horticulturist and TV presenter, Tom’s knowledge of plants remains second to none, often referred to by locals as ‘The Plant Nut.’
ALYS FOWLER
Renowned horticulturist and journalist Alys trained at the Royal Horticultural Society, the New York Botanical Gardens and the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew. Whilst living in New York with only a fire escape to grow plants on, Alys found a community creating gardens on a tiny budget and since vowed never to waste money in her garden again.
Alys is a regular presenter on the BBC’s Gardeners’ World and writes regularly for the Guardian, Gardens Illustrated, Grow Your Own as well as other publications and blogs for BBC Gardening.
MATT FRANKS
Young urban gardener Matt has much experience planning, building and maintaining beautiful edible gardens around the UK. MD and founder of Connected Roots, an urban food growing social enterprise he has worked with companies such as Google and Fortnum & Mason.
Alongside his own company, Matt teaches Urban Garden Design at Chelsea College of Art and Design, sharing his passion for growing your own with the budding horticulturists of tomorrow.
DAVE GOULSON
Brought up in rural Shropshire, Dave developed an early obsession with wildlife. With a particular interest in bumblebees, he has published numerous books on their ecology and conservation including: ’Bumblebees; Their Behaviour, Ecology and Conservation’ and Sunday Times bestseller ’A Sting in the Tale’.
His work includes founding the Bumblebee Conservation Trust in 2006, a contributing factor in becoming number 8 in BBC Wildlife Magazine’s list of the top 50 most influential people in conservation.
HANDMADE APOTHECARY
Medical Herbalists Victoria Chown & Kim Walker love to reconnect people with the traditional folklore, edible and medicinal uses of the wild plants around us.
They provide walks, workshops and bespoke health and beauty consultations all over London.
LONDON TERRARIUMS
Founder Emma Sibley started London Terrariums in 2014 out of a sincere desire to engage with nature in the urban environment. Having trained in Surface Design, Emma’s love of gardening developed from a young age and not through professional horticultural training.
Bermondsey based, Emma creates private terrarium commissions and runs workshops for all ages to emphasis the connection to nature within a dense urban environment
JEKKA MCVICAR
A renowned herb farmer, Jekka has dedicated many of the last three decades to growing, teaching, writing and designing gardens.
A frequent RHS flower exhibitor, along side her team Jekka has been awarded 62 gold medals, the Lawrence Medal and 2 Tudor Rose Awards. She is currently embarking upon designing a unique RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden entitled; ‘A ModernApothecary’.
JANE PERRONE
A big advocate of growing your own, The Guardian’s gardening editor Jane has written many award winning books including ‘The Allotment Keeper’s Handbook’ a no-nonsense guide to managing your own organic vegetable patch.
Alongside her writing Jane also presents Sow, Grow, Repeat - The Guardian’s gardening podcast. Joining co-host Alys Fowler to discuss horticultural topics with expert interviews and discussions.
RICHARD REYNOLDS
The original guerrilla gardener, based in a tower block in London’s Elephant and Castle, Richard has built up a substantial international following over the past decade.
His night-time escapades, “illegally” gardening derelict and unloved segments of cities around the world, have proven an inspiration to a whole new generation of gardeners.
TIM RICHARDSON
Garden writer and historian Tim specialises in gardens, landscapes and urban design. He is also the founder of the Chelsea Fringe Festival, and written several gardening books.
Previously gardens editor at Country Life and *Wallpaper, Tim is now a regular columnist, sharing his expertise in the gardening pages of the Daily Telegraph.
ERIC TRINE
Object-based designer and commercial artist from California, Eric lives and breathes modern style - clean, simple, casual, and approachable.
His studio focuses on furniture and product design for the home and all projects are conceived, engineered, and prototyped in-house. Eric’s stunning designs have been featured in the New York Times, Wallpaper*, Elle Deco, and Luxe magazines amongst many others.
MATTHEW WILSON
Award winning garden designer Matthew has over 20 years experience in the gardening business, including 10 years with the Royal Horticultural Society where he was curator of Hyde Hall Garden.
Alongside his regular radio and presenting work, Matthew is currently Managing Director and Principal Designer of Clifton Nurseries.
HELEN YEMM
Having always had an interest in gardening - her parents were both academic botanists and avid gardeners themselves - Helen realised her own passion when she acquired her first garden in west London.
Helen is now a well-recognised authority within the gardening world, sharing her extensive knowledge through her lectures, television presenting, and in her regular column for The Telegraph, ‘Thorny Problems’.
JIM BUTTRESS
Hailed as The People’s Gardener, RHS Judge Jim’s gardening and horticulture career has spanned well over half a century! He has won eight gold medals at RHS Chelsea, managed London’s Royal Parks, judged the BBC’s Big Allotment Challenge and in recognition of his unrivalled contribution to horticulture, he also holds a Victoria Medal of Honour (VMH).
Alongside his many other achievements Jim’s most recent venture has seen him write ‘The People’s Gardener’ is an inspiring memoir, documenting his many years within the gardening world.
RICHARD BARLEY
As you would expect from the Director of Horticulture at Kew Gardens, Richard is a qualified horticulturist, and was formerly Chief Executive Officer of Open Gardens Australia. In his previous role as a Director within the Royal Botanic Gardens Melbourne, Richard developed a deep understanding of the need to balance a world-class horticultural visitor experience with maintaining and caring for an important scientific living collection.
TONY WOODS
Garden designer and horticulturist Tony was named by the Royal Horticultural Society as Young Garden Designer of the year 2013. Spending much of his childhood in the beautiful English Lake District, surrounded by stunning landscape, he is still heavily inspired by earning a living derived from the earth.
Tony’s latest project is with John Lewis transforming the John Lewis Oxford Street store rooftop into The Gardening Society roof garden, and arena of blooms and fresh herbs and calm above the busy cityscape of London.
Don’t miss a thing! Take a look at our 2016 talk and workshop pages to see what’s in store from our GROW London experts!