Earliest gardening memory My grandparents had a big vegetable garden and I used to help them plant potatoes, sow seeds, weed and water. I vividly remember feeling the rich Ukrainian soil between my fingers.
First plant love Sunflowers. I love their tall stalks and bright, cheerful petals. They have a strong cultural significance in Ukraine, symbolising fertility, prosperity and a good harvest.
Who has inspired your career the most? My mother. She instinctively knew gardening would become my passion and suggested I study horticulture.
Who are your horticultural heroes? The Ukrainian farmers and gardeners who have continued to cultivate crops, to plant trees and flowers, and preserve plant species despite the disruption of the war.
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Esta historia es de la edición September 2024 de Gardens Illustrated.
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