Ask Steve Randles

1. How did you come to join Gardeners Corner?

I was searching for a gardening forum with an easy to use/read format and settled upon GC, there are many gardening forums out there but the formats are complicated at times and subject matter did not cover my needs.

2. Name the countries or counties you have lived in …

In order, Merseyside, Greater Manchester, Berkshire, Suffolk, Berkshire, Buckinghamshire and now Cumbria.

3. Describe the type of work you do.

I have had to give up work and become fulltime carer for my Partner, Anne.

4. Describe how you first got into gardening …

From an early age (4 or 5) I helped my grandad in his beautiful garden, mowing the lawn, cutting the edges, picking mint of windfall apples. I really wish I had learnt more from him as when he retired he was the Head Gardener of Liverpool Parks and Gardens and after a lifetime of gardening he had done everything all the way up to tending the giant tropical house at Sefton Park and even selecting and arranging flowers for the Town Hall and Lord Mayors residence. But even now whilst I am out doing something in the garden, I can hear him telling me how to do certain things correctly. I then dropped gardening for fishing as I got older and only in the last 5 years or so have I got back into it, apart from mowing lawns and making summer baskets, planting annuals etc.

5. What would be your dream type of garden and do you think you will ever be able to achieve it?

I'm pretty much living my dream right now in this garden, but if it was a no limits garden it would have to be an estate garden with walled kitchen garden, formal in front of the house, long sweeping lawn to the lake. I'll never achieve that..I know.

6. Have you any particular favourites in celebrity gardeners, flowers, shrubs and/or vegetables?

Geoff Hamilton, for his hands on no nonesense approach. Its not intentional on my part but I do in a way take after his ability to make things that enhance the garden or improve its useability. Alan Titchmarsh comes next, I like his quirky simple approach, Then Monty Don for his enthusiasm and love of the land. One cannot really ignore Carol Klein too, I know she annoys some people and I do find some of her talk a little OTT, but again her knowledge and enthusiasm are infectious. I really think that Carol and Monty should both produce gardening programmes of their own.

7. Have you ever entered any of your plants into shows?

No, from what I have learnt or seen it requires quite a lot of space as one has to specialise to enter shows and I dont have room for that. Maybe in the future I will, when I eventually get an alottment which would give me more room to move.

8. If you had a garden created in your memory, what plants do you think would most adequately sum up you and your life?

I'm not sure I can answer this one, my life is less than half way through! I know what plants I like so far, and new ones are added to that list every year. Even now, I'm awaiting a delivery of seeds for a plant that will become a favourite for years to come.

Steve...

 

Thanks Steve.

Very interesting about your Grandad. Mine wasn't ever as prestigious a gardener as that, but I too learnt a lot from him-although nowhere near as much as I could have.

What is your favourite plant at this moment? I know it is an impossible question to answer for a whole lifetime., but just at this moment, which one could you never be without?

 

Without hesitation I can say Sweetpeas, summer is just not summer without them.

Steve...