Photographer, writer and gardener Harriet Thistlethwayte shares her Herefordshire garden and inspirational floral displays on her Instagram @yomargey. Guided by seasonal living, here she shares her planting philosophy, and the sanctuary her garden provides with each passing season.
Tell us about your garden.
This was my childhood home, we moved back here in 2012, by which time the once extensive formal garden had become too much for my parents to maintain. After spending a couple of years renovating the house I turned my attention outside. My aim was to simplify the garden and create something that was less work intensive and more manageable. We now have fewer borders and instead, a wildflower area, a low maintenance gravel garden and just two long borders leading up from the kitchen. At the top of the garden is a vegetable and cut flower patch.
What sparked your passion for gardening?
My parents were both keen gardeners. My mother had a small herbaceous nursery, specialising in hardy geraniums, and my father retrained as a tree surgeon in his 50s. I can remember conversations at meals always focusing on plants and gardening. At the time I thought this terribly boring, but once I started gardening myself, I found I had retained a lot of the information.
Seasonality is so important to me. Originally a cook by profession, using produce that was available locally was central to how I worked. It is perhaps even more relevant today, and not just for sustainability reasons. Growing and eating my own vegetables is a way of staying in touch with nature and teaches me to relish each season.
And what does your garden mean to you?
I feel so lucky to have been able to experience my garden across generations. Home is where I am always happiest, from enjoying it as a child myself with my parents, to now sharing it with my children and grandchildren. It’s so special. We’ve all spent a lot of time here and have got our hands in the earth and learnt so much together. The garden provides shelter and comfort for me, it calms and yet energises me. In return I strive to cherish and care for it as best I can.
What are your favourite plants to grow?
I love growing plants from seed, watching them emerge and thrive is a process I always enjoy. My favourite of these are probably cosmos which grow quickly and by mid-summer create a beautiful display. I also love growing daffodils and narcissi bulbs in pots for the greenhouse where they flower about three weeks earlier than outside. So, in the middle of February when everything can feel a little grey, I suddenly get these wonderful blooms and scent.
Where do you find garden inspiration?
You can gain so much valuable information from the National Garden Scheme. Each year it gives visitors unique access to private gardens and raises money for charity. These gardens give you a glimpse into what’s grown locally and are adapting to the same soil, which can be helpful. I also love going to famous gardens and National Trust houses. Hidcote in Gloucestershire is probably my favourite, it’s ever changing and so inspiring. It always makes me want to try harder with my own garden.
How does your garden influence your home?
I spend most of my time in the garden, so when I’m not out there I want to be able to look at it. One of the best improvements we made to the house was installing French doors in the kitchen, it means I can look out to the top of the garden along the long path. I have a table just outside these doors where I display lots of potted plants, so that I can enjoy them as I’m cooking.
During the growing season I usually pick a bunch of flowers every week for the living room, and then in the winter I will have bulbs in pots in here, usually hyacinths and muscari.
Harriet Thistlethwayte’s top gardening tips
1. You can make a garden even in the smallest space by using pots. Nasturtiums are easy to grow from seed and give so much summer joy. You can also buy plug bedding plants which will quickly become established.
2. Growing herbs in pots near the kitchen so they are within stepping distance of the door is a good idea. Being mostly Mediterranean plants they thrive in pots and need little watering, and are handy for adding flavour to any meal.
3. May is the perfect time to plant out courgettes and also direct sow carrots, beetroot and lettuces. Succession sowing of salad leaves every three weeks or so means that you can have enough for meals throughout the summer, until the frosts return.
4. Make time to enjoy your garden! By June a lot of the hard work is done and it’s important to relish time just sitting and appreciating all of your hard work.
Feeling inspired by Harriet Thistlethwayte’s wild garden? From our Purbeck and Harmondsworth outdoor garden sets to our wicker planters, shop our garden collection. Follow @yomargey if you're looking for more inspiration on how to create a seasonal garden. Harriet’s first book, ‘A Country Style: Living and creating with nature through the seasons’, published by Mitchell Beazley, is available for pre-order and will be released in September.
