Potentilla 'Red Ace' Reaped Great Rewards

The first plant I ever grew

When I was about four or five I remember my grandad, also called Aubrey, showing me how satisfying it was to pop the flower of a fuchsia. This led on to me growing more than 50 varieties, with my own catalogue when I was just 12. Is that sad?

The plant that shaped the nurseryman I am today

The first commercial endeavour we had as a nursery in 1968 was to buy 1,000 cuttings of leylandii conifers. From this I started a collection of 350 different conifers, all grown in open ground, before branching out into heathers and shrubs.

My favourite plant in the world

This has to be the 300-year-old ash tree standing centre stage in our garden. The fourth largest of its kind in the country, it has overlooked all our activities since I’ve been at Hopleys Nursery in Hertfordshire.

The plant that made me work hardest