Having completed work on the Oudolf Landscape at RHS Garden Wisley, horticulturist Emily is now working on a Piet Oudolf design for a private estate in Berkshire. Portrait: Andrew Montgomery
Gardeners are artists and people need to realise that’ – time to rethink what a gardener is – meet Emily Adcock
Earliest gardening memory Begging my mother to get us an allotment when I was seven. I remember the criticism we received for keeping the tall ash tree that grew in the middle of our new plot. I hope opinions have changed 20 years on.
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First plant love Roses. I remember my mum taking my brother and me to this old walled tennis court on an abandoned estate to play tennis as children. Surrounding the court were roses, and despite not having been pruned for many years, they flowered prolifically. I would collect as many petals as I could to take home and dry into confetti.
Wildlife gardening or gardening for biodiversity shouldn’t be seen as a style of gardening, but as an approach all gardeners take.
Who has inspired your career Wisley’s horticulturist Jack Aldridge. I was lucky enough to be on the same team as Jack when I first started at RHS Garden Wisley. His passion for plants is the most infectious thing.
People see horticulturists as garden labourers, but I want to shift people’s thinking, to appreciate them as artists of the natural world.
Who are your horticultural heroes? Piet Oudolf and Tom Stuart-Smith. They are my inspiration for really getting to know your plants before designing gardens with them, which is something I feel really passionate about.
Favourite garden Tom Stuart-Smith’s garden at The Barn. Perennials are incredible for the way they can provide almost instant impact, but the beauty of a garden that develops over years with the maturity of trees and slow-growing yew hedging cannot be overlooked.
Favourite planting style Naturalistic planting with plant favourites repeated organically through a border. I like it when plants and ornamental grasses are selected for a long season of interest, so keeping your beds standing through winter is an easy option, aesthetically as well as for wildlife.
Favourite ‘weed’ The common daisy (Bellis perennis). When I was a child we planted these in our lawn because they looked so beautiful in full bloom.
Biggest challenge facing gardeners today A lot of people see horticulturists as garden labourers and, of course, some of the work is laborious, but I want to shift people’s thinking, to appreciate horticulturists as artists of the natural world.
One thing gardeners can do to be more sustainable Plan the planting in your garden. Positioning plants badly goes hand in hand with buying something you instantly like from the garden centre, and then squeezing it in wherever there is space. Planning ahead and putting thought into your plant purchases goes a long way to improving both the aesthetics and sustainability of your garden.
What principles have guided your attitude? In your own garden, your most important clients are the wildlife that visit. If there is a tree or shrub they are particularly fond of, for goodness sake, do not remove it.
What do you see as the future of horticulture? Wildlife gardening or gardening for biodiversity shouldn’t be seen as a style of gardening, but as an approach all gardeners take.
Instagram @hortdamn