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First plant love<\/strong> A spider plant when I was about ten years old. I gave it a very short haircut, for no other reason than I wanted to see what happened. I think this may have been the start of my desire to shape plants.<\/p>\n Who has inspired your career?<\/strong> Luciano Giubbilei, in particular a roof garden he designed for the Swiss private investment company Unigestion. He placed a series of green domes in a long curve, set against pale-grey gravel<\/a>. The simplicity of the shape, with the effect of light and shadow playing on the form, really caught my attention.<\/p>\n What did you do before gardening?<\/strong> I studied hotel and catering management at university and then managed a delicatessen for many years but wanted to work outdoors. I began by working in some beautiful gardens that had a lot of topiary<\/a> and undertook short courses at Pershore College to help me specialise in topiary\u00a0maintenance.<\/p>\n Horticultural heroes<\/strong> Jake Hobson<\/a>, for his cloud pruning and organic topiary. I also appreciate the skill and knowledge of Chris Crowder<\/a>, head gardener at the historic topiary gardens at Levens Hall in Cumbria.<\/p>\n Favourite gardens<\/strong> I really admire the topiary at Les Jardins de Marqueyssac<\/a> and Les Jardins d\u2019\u00c9tretat in France, as well as Levens Hall. However, my biggest influence is the natural landscape. I try to emulate rolling hills with my cloud designs.<\/p>\n Most valuable training<\/strong> Practice; with topiary someone can show you what to do, but nothing beats picking up a pair of shears and having a go.<\/p>\n Three worthwhile tips<\/strong> Learn about the plant you\u2019re working with. Each one will respond differently to clipping. When deciding on a design, work with the plant\u2019s natural growth habit \u2013 don\u2019t try to force a shape on it. For example, plants with vertical growth habits won\u2019t suit being shaped into a ball. And don\u2019t be afraid to make mistakes. If you clip a plant and are not happy with the shape, in most cases it will grow back, and you can try again.<\/p>\n Favourite \u2018weed\u2019 you\u2019re happy to have in your garden<\/strong> Ivy<\/a> can be interesting as it can be clipped and shaped.<\/p>\n Do you have a particular aim in your gardening career?<\/strong> Topiary is seen as an aspect of horticulture, whereas sculpture<\/a> belongs with the art world. I want to bridge the gap between the two by creating topiary that can be considered green (or organic) sculpture. I would like topiary not to be seen solely as a gardening process but also as an artistic creation, with plants being the sculptor\u2019s medium.<\/p>\n