As garden supervisor at the Horniman Museum and Gardens, Annette\u2019s role includes helping to create displays linked to exhibitions. Portrait by Lisa Linder <\/p>
Earliest garden memory<\/strong> Harvesting and eating fresh carrots and berries from my grandmother\u2019s garden. Having lived through two world wars, she turned up her nose at \u2018ornamental\u2019 plants. Everything in her garden had to earn its keep by providing something for the family.<\/p> Favourite landscapes that have influenced you<\/strong> The pretty, mysterious wooded valley of the River Lahn where I grew up \u2013 a typical landscape of German romanticism and Grimms\u2019 fairy tales. And the Ruaha National Park in Tanzania, with its majestic baobab trees \u2013 they\u2019re unforgettable in their natural habitat. Also the Knepp Estate<\/a> in Sussex, where I spent a week working in the walled garden \u2013 it was fascinating to see how it sits within the larger rewilded landscape of the estate.<\/p> You may also like<\/strong> <\/p> Worthwhile tips<\/strong> Be patient, observe your plants and their environment, and see what works. Don\u2019t try to control everything. Don\u2019t be afraid to experiment and embrace failure \u2013 something unexpected might just come out of it.<\/p> Favourite planting style<\/strong> I struggle to think in terms of \u2018planting styles\u2019 \u2013 I enjoy anything that is diverse and interesting and allows plants to form communities naturally, so they can thrive without constant intervention.<\/p> Favourite \u2018weed\u2019 you\u2019re happy to have in your garden<\/strong> Lemon balm, Melissa officinalis<\/em>, because I like to cut and dry the leaves for tea.<\/p> Be patient, observe your plants and their environment, and see what works<\/p><\/blockquote> Biggest challenge facing gardeners today<\/strong> Western societies\u2019 disconnection with nature. If people have no sense of where their food comes from, it will be impossible to make the changes that are necessary to tackle the climate crisis<\/a>.<\/p> Guiding horticultural principles<\/strong> I played mainly jazz in my former career as a musician, and I enjoy gardening most when there\u2019s a sense of improvisation. At the Horniman, there is a real spirit of eagerness to explore new things.<\/p> In what direction do you see horticulture heading in the next few years?<\/strong> I hope that the strong movement towards less intervention and more sustainability<\/a> will filter through to all parts of the industry and to domestic gardeners.<\/p> I enjoy gardening most when there\u2019s a sense of improvisation<\/p><\/blockquote> Favourite gardening website, Instagram feed \u2013 or books<\/strong> Isabella Tree\u2019s Wilding<\/em> got me thinking much more about promoting biodiversity, even in ornamental gardens. Daniel Chamovitz\u2019s What a Plant Knows<\/em>, a fascinating book about plant awareness and \u2018intelligence\u2019. Lucile Brockway\u2019s Science and Colonial Expansion<\/em>, an analysis of the role of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, in transferring crops to different parts of the British colonial empire to promote its prosperity. I also love Matt Candeias\u2019s blog\/podcast In Defense of Plants<\/em>.<\/p> What\u2019s your next big project at the Horniman?<\/strong> Over the next two years, we\u2019re changing the Victorian Sunken Garden to a Bird Garden, with a perennial<\/a> display providing food and nesting places and materials for birds<\/a> and insects.<\/p> Contact<\/strong> afoerger@horniman.ac.uk<\/a> Instagram: @afoerger<\/a><\/p>