AKEROYD Head Gardener - English Riviera - National Trust
SIMON
Simon Akeroyd
Photos are from Simon’s Twitter feed -
twitter.com/sagardenwriter See also his website at
simonakeroyd.co.uk
S
imon has worked previously for the rHs as a garden manager at Harlow Carr and Wisley. He trained as a bbC journalist eventually
working on such projects as the Chelsea and Hampton Court Flower shows and the gardeners’ World programme. He has also written numerous horticultural books and articles for gardening magazines. His latest book, the good gardener, is a must have for all gardeners and was recommended in tQ magazine’s review last issue.
How long have you been head gardener? I’ve been here for seven months. I moved with my family from polesden Lacey in surrey, which is also a National trust property. We have a house in brixham, which has distant views over the harbour, and torbay. I met my wife when we were both at Wisley and she is a gardener too. What does your job as head gardener entail? I look after the english riviera portfolio - so that’s greenway - Agatha Christie’s holiday home, Coleton Fishacre and then I always like to say I also have a castle and a manor house: Compton Castle and bradley manor near Newton Abbot.
Tell us a little more about the two smaller properties. At Compton Castle we work closely with the donor family, geoffrey and Angela gilbert. the gilbert family’s association with the castle stretches back to the 14th century and it is fantastic to have all that history there. I love the garden because it has a little bit of everything: a water feature, rose garden, orchard, herbaceous border, statues, kitchen garden and wild flower meadow as well as the castle itself. It is also very manageable to visit as you can walk round it in under an hour.
Simon Enjoying the Roses at Bradley Manor
TQ MAGAZINE CAUGHT UP WITH SIMON IN THE POTTING SHED AT COLETON FISHACRE TO TALK ABOUT HIS ROLE WITH THE NATIONAL TRUST AND THE NEW BOOKS HE HAS WRITTEN.
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