National Gardening Week 28th April-4th May 2025
- John Plant
- 10 hours ago
- 3 min read
What is National Gardening week?
Ever since the first celebration in 2012, this annual event organised by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has grown in popularity. Each year National Gardening Week sees thousands of people sharing their love of gardening, hosting events and talking about what they’re growing.
The week also raises awareness of the difference that gardens and gardening can make to the lives of everyone. It helps to inspire more people, particularly the next generation of gardeners, to experience the joy of growing and creating beautiful green spaces.
What I wish I’d known about gardening
As part of National Gardening Week, 28 April to 4 May 2025, RHS staff shared what they wish they’d known when they first started gardening
How did your gardening journey start? Maybe you gardened with a grandparent, or joined a Gardening Club? Everyone has their own story to tell. So I thought I would share mine.
In my early days looking a lot younger and thinner!
I started many years ago with vegetable gardening, in the back garden, with my Dad. That gave me a real interest in the outdoors, particularly growing plants.
As an adult, I eventually went to Merrist Wood Agricultural College, in the mid 70'S to study tree surgery and landscape design.
I spend over 50 years in landscape design and construction, building & designing gardens for customers either from a bare piece of new build land to established areas, even other designs.
The photos above are of me at a much younger age, working on a new build site. The biggest issue is with what the builders leave behind. It is always advisable to do a site survey before you start, even if it is only with a spade, just to check to see how much good stuff was actually left behind. Usually, very little.
The most important part of design was to match exactly what the customer wanted, and in budget. That didn't always work out and sometimes compromise had to be met. Learning about customers needs and wants, gave me a great insight into dealing with people. It was a fact-finding mission in almost every case.
I designed and built both small and large gardens, in the UK, Cyprus and Thailand, which gave me a massive knowledge of plants. Of what will grow where. I found that if you got the wrong plant in the wrong place, you can always change it. Trial & error, to a degree.
Having moved to North Yorkshire, where I still live today, being lucky enough to have a property with a decent piece of land, set to and designed 3/4 of an acre. This was set out with two things in mind. It was a shade garden, hence all the large shrubs and trees, and was low maintenance. I think this was achieved. Although a garden is never finished, it changes every year. You add to it and maybe take away from it. That's ok. It's evolving.
The garden was deemed good enough to be included in the National Garden Scheme book ,and I opened to the pubic in 2009, raising money for the NGS nursing charities. Visitors always wanted to buy plants from our garden. I was happy to help where I could.
This is what got me into selling Hostas. We have over 800 varieties of Hosta either in display pots or planted in the garden.
This 'hobby' turned into www.rewelahostas.com a small mail order business, once myself and my lovely partner Daphne had officially retired.
Both of us have a love of gardening, and Hostas. The garden at Rewela Cottage, is still open for the NGS but on an appointment only basis. Garden Visits | Rewelahostas UK
My journey has always been a good one. Gardening has kept me fit and healthy for most of my life, until old age sets in. Working in all weathers and dealing with all sorts of customers, I have always been passionate about what I do. It is amazing that a small interest in growing radishes & onions, all those years ago, turned into a lifetime of gardening.
Want to share your story with RHS ? Join in on social media using the hash tag #YourSpaceYourStory
Great news. Next weeks blog is a guest blog from one of the most influential people in gardening with his personal story of his career, how he started and where he is today.
His name is Martin Fish.
This will make a great read.
If you want to overdose on Hosta Knowledge & discover all our past Hosta blogs click here
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John Plant
Rewela Hostas
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