Meet the Maker: Sarah Raven returns to Thyme
Photography by Jonathan Buckley
Renowned English Gardener Sarah Raven returns to Thyme this March to host four gardening courses spanning flowers, vegetables and pots, from 18th - 21st March.
Since 1999, she has been running courses from her own Sussex garden, Perch Hill, and is known for presenting on Gardener’s World and her books on gardening. Here she recounts her inspirations and what to expect this Spring.
1. What sparked your passion for gardening and wildlife?
My father, John Raven, was a botanist and passionate naturalist and from the age of 5 or 6 I trooped around after him whenever he gardened or went on a trip into the countryside. Excursions were mainly near home to start with but once I was a bit older we also botanised together in Greece, Italy and France. I learnt about wild flowers, butterflies and birds and I remember it all to this day. In my mid twenties, as soon as I got my own small garden, I was hooked again and have been so ever since.
2. Why is March the perfect time to plan a summer garden?
March is THE month to plan a garden. You can still sow, grow, plant and prune almost everything now. Most things are still dormant but are about to spring into life by the middle of this month and next. You need to get going soonish, but there’s still time for designing, plotting and planning what you want to grow.
3. What are you most looking forward to in the garden this year?
Our dahlia trials of 60 new varieties which we found or have bred in the last year or two. With some, we don’t know what will emerge; others we spotted on our travels and can’t wait to see again.
4. At your event in March there is a course for every type of gardener. What do you enjoy most about running courses?
I LOVE teaching, handing over the knowledge I’ve learnt over 30 years from all our trials, tests and experiments in my garden at Perch Hill. I can’t see the point of bothering to test things out if you don’t then hand on what you’ve found. Whether you’re a beginner or seasoned gardener, I’m pretty sure I can explain things so you’ll understand— or maybe I can make you think of things in a slightly different way. I adored teaching my first ever course about growing your own cut flowers, but all my subjects are dear to my heart and to our garden. My most recent book is about pots and colour palettes which is my new-found passion.
5. Which three simple and essential pieces of advice would you give a beginner gardener?
1. Keep it small initially. Grow a pot of an easy to look after dahlia, a cosmos and a herb (such as flat-leaved parsley) to show you how easy and rewarding gardening can be.
2. Identify 5 plants you’ve noticed on a walk, drive or cycle every week. Learn their names and a few things about them (keep a notebook!) and gradually build up a portfolio of favourite plants.
3. Go and hang out with someone you know who gardens and spend an hour or two helping them. That’s how I learnt, little by little, and you’ll soon know which elements of gardening you love. For me, it’s sowing things from seed, turning a lump or speck of dust into a green, flowery and leafy thing. That’s the magical part for me.
Photography by Jonathan Buckley
Course information:
Tuesday 18th March: Book A Year Full of Veg with Sarah Raven at Thyme | Courses in Gloucestershire | Sarah Raven
Wednesday 19th March: Book A Year Full of Flowers with Sarah Raven at Thyme | Away Days in Gloucestershire | Sarah Raven
Thursday 20th March: Book A Year Full of Pots with Sarah Raven at Thyme, Gloucestershire | Sarah Raven
Friday 21st March: Book Grow Your Own Cut Flowers with Sarah Raven at Thyme | Away Days in Gloucestershire | Sarah Raven
Enjoy 10% off a stay at Thyme the night before or of your course with code Raven10.