Do you ever get the chance to go to the Chelsea flower show? Yes, I do. I went on press day this year as I write for the magazine “ grow Your Own”. unfortunately, it was pouring with rain so we all crowded into the marquee and the atmosphere was absolutely amazing and you are rubbing shoulders with all these celebrities drink- ing champagne. press day is special because you do get the opportunity to walk into and around the gardens, which is how they were designed and how they are judged. You have your book The Good Gardener out now. Are you working on anything else at the moment? I am writing a book about raised beds, which I am really excited about. It is an environmental and sustainable way of growing using a keyhole shaped raised bed. the circular raised bed has a bit in the middle you can walk into with the compost heap in the middle secured by chicken wire. You keep feeding the compost in with no need for artificial fertilisers. the compost percolates through and leaches out into the beds. the idea
Simon’s current books - The Good Gardener and Vegetables for the Gourmet Gardener
comes from Africa where it is a very old practice. I have also recently written the gourmet Vegetable book. What one plant couldn’t you live without? my favourite plant is an apple tree. partly, it is where my career started in the fruit department at Wisley. Also, I love old orchards and the structure of the old gnarled trunks. I like that you can plant them in tiny areas or in magnificent orchards, you have beautiful spring blossom and there is so much variety in the different colours, sizes and ranges and if you choose three or four trees carefully,
you can have fruit from late August through to the following summer. What do you do in your spare time? I am a beekeeper. I brought my two hives of bees down to Devon from surrey in the boot of my car and I could hear them buzzing all the way down. I like doing anything outdoors so I do a lot of running, wild swimming, mountain biking and canoeing. I was wild swimming at Christmas at mansands and that was great fun!•
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