The Gardeners’ World presenter and seven times Chelsea Gold medallist on working with Geoff Hamilton, laver and bacon sandwiches and why he won’t be giving up coaching junior goalkeepers
Champagne problems. That’s what I’ve got,” says Adam Frost. The Gardeners’ World presenter, RHS Ambassador and Chelsea Gold medal-winning designer has a lot on his plate. It adds a little extra sparkle to the situation that his problems are, in the very best sense, of his own making.
Growing up in north London, home life wasn’t always easy for young Adam, and he spent a lot of time with his grandparents. “There was Tidy Nan, with a greenhouse that smelt of tomatoes, Scruffy Nan – who worked in the City and had a garden full of Belfast sinks and cats – and Granddad, who was an engineer and had the best shed in the world.”
When he wasn’t with his grandparents Adam was playing football, and showed such talent in goal that there was a real chance he would turn professional. Instead, when he was 15, his father uprooted him and moved to rural north Devon.
“It did knock me sideways a bit,” headmits. In quick succession, he left school, rented a room and signed up as an apprentice with the North Devon Parks Department. “I think the old boys were sorry for me. There was George, the foreman, who taught me a lot, and Jim who introduced me to the joy of laver and bacon sandwiches, and gave me a couple of canaries that I kept at the end of my bed. The first time I appeared on Gardeners’ World, George emailed to say how proud he was.”
Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 2018-Ausgabe von Gardens Illustrated.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 2018-Ausgabe von Gardens Illustrated.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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Field of Dreams - The naturalistic gem Hans Gieszen has created in former meadowlands near Utrecht in the Netherlands is the culmination of a lifelong passion
Ever since his mother gave him seeds as a small boy, gardening has been a passion for Hans Gieszen. He is completely self-taught, relying on garden visits and books for instruction, with one book in particular, Dream Plants for the Natural Garden by Henk Gerritsen and Piet Oudolf, influencing his style. “It was fascinating,” says Hans, remembering his first encounter with the book. “All those photos – pictures with mists and these tall and low plants and grasses. I realised I couldn’t do it in my small garden, but I kept dreaming and reading about it.”
WORLD OF POSSIBILITY
This superb tour of the world's botanical gardens highlights their vital role in saving the planet's flora, says Claire Masset
THE FEMININE TOUCH?
Does your garden have masculine or feminine style, and does it even matter? Head gardener Benjamin Pope unpicks gardening's gender stereotypes
'If you emulate nature, you're on to a winner'
Gardener, television presenter and author Carol Klein talks about her new book, the books she loves, her current challenges and what she's up to next
FRIENDLY ADVICE
When tasked with creating a garden for her friends, designer Neive Tierney found the project came with challenges - not least the need to include a wheelchair ramp and squeeze in a saltwater swimming pool
Passing the baton
The celebrated nursery and garden at Marchants Hardy Plants in East Sussex is now being managed by a new team, who continue to inspire visitors with innovative planting
My sweet gourd
Clark Lawrence, an American living in the heart of Italy's pumpkin province, loves growing different cultivars of pumpkins and ornamental gourds for their sweet flavours and fabulous looks
ANDY JASPER
The new CEO of the Eden Project on his excitement about a new chapter, the legacy he's left at the National Trust and his joy at heading home to Cornwall
Bedding in
In just under nine years, the owners of Arvensis Nursery in Wiltshire have created a mature garden that displays their high-quality perennials
Late summer dreams
From cool pastels and foliage to hot colours, designer Jo Thompson creates three stylish container combinations for autumn