Digging The Dirt
Digging the Dirt: Chris Collins
The star of The Plantsman and Garden Rivals is a passionate gardener whose enthusiasm for all things horticultural can't help but sizzle onscreen. Over the years, his work has taken him as far afield as Japan and Africa. He has also worked at Kew Gardens, and more recently, as Head Gardener at Westminster Abbey. Chris has a great way of personalising and humanising his relationship with plants, but he's not bad company in the flesh either as we found when we met up with him to do some digging the dirt!
UKTV Gardens: What's your favourite style of garden or garden design?
Chris: "Woodland, because if you go to the Nagano mountains in Japan, you get four tiers of planting: you see Zelkova trees and Magnolia, and underneath that you get Japanese Maple, and underneath that you get rhododendron, and underneath that you get hosta - these sort of plants, all in tiers. The whole thing will be soaked in moss and wisteria will be rambling its way through it all. That's a proper garden."
UKTV Gardens: What is the coolest plant or flower in the world? And why?
Chris: "To me, it's the birch. I spent about seven years abroad and it really reminds me of home. Whenever I came back home during that time, the birch just meant a lot."
UKTV Gardens: What has been your biggest gardening cock-up?
Chris: "By mistake, I cut down the Blue Peter sunflowers. Much to the amusement of the Blue Peter staff."
UKTV Gardens: Is the changeable British weather a gardener's friend or foe?
Chris: "Friend. The diversity of plants you can grow here, because of the weather, is a real plus."
UKTV Gardens: Who is your gardening hero? And why?
Chris: "It's got to be David Douglas. A botanist who collected in North America during Victorian times. He was a real headcase - ended up falling down a bear pit."
UKTV Gardens: John Steinbeck once said: "There is nothing pleasanter than spading when the ground is soft and damp." Would you agree?
Chris: "I would 100% agree with that. It's a form of meditation."
UKTV Gardens: What would you be doing if you weren't doing this for a living?
Chris: "It would be some kind of trade - probably carpentry or something like that. As long as I'm not in an office, I'm happy."
UKTV Gardens: Which famous people's gardens have you worked in?
Chris: "None - I don't think I'm big enough yet!"
UKTV Gardens: Alan Tichmarsh once joked that his obituary would read "The Man Who Planked Britain". What will yours read?
Chris: "I must have walked twice around the planet cutting bowling greens."
UKTV Gardens: Is decking chav?
Chris: "What is this 'chav' word?! I've seen many trends come and go - it was York Stone when I started off. Then it went to patios. Now it's decking. It's all about whatever you can afford, innit."
Chris: "Woodland, because if you go to the Nagano mountains in Japan, you get four tiers of planting: you see Zelkova trees and Magnolia, and underneath that you get Japanese Maple, and underneath that you get rhododendron, and underneath that you get hosta - these sort of plants, all in tiers. The whole thing will be soaked in moss and wisteria will be rambling its way through it all. That's a proper garden."
UKTV Gardens: What is the coolest plant or flower in the world? And why?
Chris: "To me, it's the birch. I spent about seven years abroad and it really reminds me of home. Whenever I came back home during that time, the birch just meant a lot."
UKTV Gardens: What has been your biggest gardening cock-up?
Chris: "By mistake, I cut down the Blue Peter sunflowers. Much to the amusement of the Blue Peter staff."
UKTV Gardens: Is the changeable British weather a gardener's friend or foe?
Chris: "Friend. The diversity of plants you can grow here, because of the weather, is a real plus."
UKTV Gardens: Who is your gardening hero? And why?
Chris: "It's got to be David Douglas. A botanist who collected in North America during Victorian times. He was a real headcase - ended up falling down a bear pit."
UKTV Gardens: John Steinbeck once said: "There is nothing pleasanter than spading when the ground is soft and damp." Would you agree?
Chris: "I would 100% agree with that. It's a form of meditation."
UKTV Gardens: What would you be doing if you weren't doing this for a living?
Chris: "It would be some kind of trade - probably carpentry or something like that. As long as I'm not in an office, I'm happy."
UKTV Gardens: Which famous people's gardens have you worked in?
Chris: "None - I don't think I'm big enough yet!"
UKTV Gardens: Alan Tichmarsh once joked that his obituary would read "The Man Who Planked Britain". What will yours read?
Chris: "I must have walked twice around the planet cutting bowling greens."
UKTV Gardens: Is decking chav?
Chris: "What is this 'chav' word?! I've seen many trends come and go - it was York Stone when I started off. Then it went to patios. Now it's decking. It's all about whatever you can afford, innit."
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