Page 18 - ALG Issue 3 2014

Q What inspired you to choose horticulture as a career?
A I feel that horticulture chose me; one of my earliest memories is of planting a crocus bulb in a yoghurt pot and the delight I felt when the plants I was looking after for school flowered. I then progressed from growing carrot tops on the window sill to a spot of my own in the garden and an allotment
plot. I realised early on that I would need to train in order to have a decent career and progressed from a City and Guilds through to NDH and DipEd in order to teach.
Q Could you tell us about some highlights of your working life?
A Being made a Fellow of my old college –
Myerscough College in Lancashire.
• Broadcasting from Buckingham Palace
Gardens for the One Show on the
occasion of the Golden Jubilee.
• Christine’s Garden, the BBC show that
brought me public recognition.
• I get a particular thrill from seeing my
students do well in the Horticulture Industry.
Q Do you think public perception of gardening has changed since you started gardening and if so how has it changed? A I don’t think the public perception has changed; it is a skilled profession but it still doesn’t have the prestige it should have.
Q Who is your favourite gardener/did anyone inspire you when you started out? A I don’t have a favourite gardener and my role models when I first started gardening were the old chaps on the allotment.
Q Do you think celebrity gardeners have a role to play?
A Although I feel that there does need
to be people who communicate about horticulture I’m uncomfortable with the word celebrity. I prefer the term “gardening personality”.
Q The RHS Horticulture Matters report in 2013 recognised that there is a large skill shortage in the horticulture industry - what do you think could be done to encourage more young people in to the field?
A Although I am aware that schools involve their pupils in gardening projects I do feel that they should be exposed more to the realities of the modern horticulture industry – for example taken on trips around a commercial glass-house. Contemporary horticulturalists are scientists, engineers,
technicians, transport organisers etc. and if young people knew this they may be more interested in taking it up as a career.
Q What advice would you give to a young person considering horticulture nowadays? A I would advise anyone interested in the profession to go out and get as much practical experience as possible, talk to other gardeners, join societies and not wait for things to come to them.
Q You have recently produced a no-nonsense vegetable gardening DVD, reviewed in this issue – what is your
view of the opinion that digital media will eventually replace books?
A I’m not sure that digital media will ever replace books - there is something so satisfying about holding a book. I also have reservations about modern technology on a plot or in a garden, which are slow, beautiful and peaceful places. I also think that these devices can make us insular – why use google when you can walk over and ask the other people on the site and enjoy the camaraderie?
Q What 3 tips would you give to an inexperienced gardener who has just got a new allotment plot?
A My three top tips would be to:
• Sow and sow again - just keep trying.
• Talk to other people on the site, find out
what varieties grow well, when to plant
and how.
• Be patient; it takes time to learn how to
garden – just like it took time to learn to read or drive.
Q There is much debate on my site about organic/non-organic growing; what views do you hold about different growing orthodoxies?
A I take a balanced view on this. Most organic gardening practice follows sound gardening principles but both methods work and gardeners need to decide for
YoungHort
themselves what to do in a particular situation. Grow wisely would be my advice, but always be respectful of nature and the environment.
Q Do you still have an allotment?
A I no longer have an allotment but I do have a very big vegetable patch in my garden.
Q What vegetables are you currently growing?
A I grow everything that it is possible to grow – I call my veg patch my living larder.
Q And finally what would you have been if you hadn’t been a gardener?
A If I’d been the type to sit A levels
etc. I would have loved to have been a Forensic Scientist. I have a great desire to investigate, find out how things work or why things happen.
Christine is a life member of the National Allotments Society and has had a long and varied career in the horticulture industry. She progressed from her local parks department through agricultural college, to experimental horticulture stations and on to working as technical advisor to horticulture giants such as Baby Bio and Dobies. After setting up a training unit for the Manpower Services Commission Christine went on
to teach at a number of colleges before going freelance working as a plants-woman and horticulturist, lecturing nationally and internationally.
Christine has written several gardening books, still teaches and leads gardening tours around the world and she is a regular presenter on TV and Radio; Christine has recently been commissioned to present a new 15 week BBC 1 series called “Britain’s Gardens from Above”. Each 45 minute programme will be full of tips, advice and stunning views of gardens seldom seen
in this manner before and is due to air in October this year.
Q&A with Christine Walkden
– gardener, educator & communicator
18
A group of young horticulturalists have set up just the sort of organisation that Christine would recommend keen young growers to get involved in. YoungHort was set up in December 2013 by a team of young horticulturalists who want to encourage and support other young people to join what they consider to be an amazing industry. If you would like more information about YoungHort, would like to arrange a school visit from YoungHort or would like to support YoungHort then please email: younghortcontact@gmail.com