Earliest garden memory In primary school, each child in my class was tasked with looking after a pansy in a 7cm pot. I didn’t water my plant at all and I remember my teacher holding up my dead pansy in front of the class. I like to think of it as the beginning of my interest in drought-tolerant plants.
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First plant love Ferns were the first group of plants I really got interested in. I spent a lot of time visiting gardens trying to identify as many as possible. I like the way you have to spend time looking closely to really appreciate their nuances. I still think ferns are underrated in the garden.
I hope to see people becoming more interested in chaos and disorder, rather than straight lines and mowers.
Who has inspired your career? Working with plants and landscapes always seemed like an option for me as my mum, Caroline Jackson, is a horticulturist. I get a lot of inspiration from her. I was also lucky enough to spend a year working at Wildside in Devon with Keith Wiley. The work Keith is doing there is really special and his perspective on plants and landscapes is something that has really inspired me.
Horticultural heroes All those who are looking closely at natural landscapes to inform their work, particularly Peter Korn, Keith Wiley, James Hitchmough and Nigel Dunnett.
I remember my teacher holding up my dead pansy in front of the class. I like to think of it as the beginning of my interest in drought-tolerant plants.
Favourite landscape I visited South Africa’s Western Cape on an RHS bursary in 2022. The diversity of the plant communities around Namaqualand is unlike anything else I’ve seen. It’s a real paradise for those interested in semi-arid plants. The spring bloom brings whole landscapes covered in flowers, which is an unforgettable experience.
Most valuable training My two-year garden traineeship at York Gate in Leeds was very formative. All of the team there are very passionate and their enthusiasm definitely ignited my passion for plants. I still think the work they do in the garden is really exciting and it’s a brilliant environment to learn more about your plants.
Dream plant destination I’ve always wanted to visit the Himalayas. I’d love to see the alpine meadows and the rhododendrons in western China.
Favourite planting style Naturalistic planting with intricacy. Favourite ‘weed’ Corydalis lutea. It’s a great plant for softening hard edges.
Where do you see horticulture heading? I think we’re starting to see a shift towards more environmentally minded gardeners. Even in the short time I’ve been gardening, it seems like conversations about how a garden can be used as a wildlife resource are much more commonplace than when I started out. I hope to see people becoming more interested in chaos and disorder, rather than straight lines and mowers.
Favourite gardening books Field identification guides from different places around the world.
Instagram @andy_jackson98