Marc Ridpath presents such a cheerful attitude to gardening and nature that you could call it invasive, but in a positive way. Marc has been head gardener of a 15-acre estate for 12 years. Like many gardeners, his story and passion for horticulture are rooted in his relationship with his parents, where their backyard garden provided plenty of opportunities to explore and be enchanted—whether by sowing seeds or eating sour rhubarb cubes dipped in sugar.
His passion for horticulture became evident through school gardening clubs and meeting David Bellamy. After his first job at a garden centre, he found a vacancy for an assistant gardener and liked it so much he’s still there now! A Chelsea Flower Show multiple-gold-medalist initially designed the garden, which is now entering its mature stage with trees and shrubs filling in. You can see an impressive Taxodium distichum on the lake edge at the garden’s entrance and a fiery Acer ‘Autumn Blaze.’ Marc wants to simplify the project to make it more sustainable and less maintenance-intensive.
Marc is active in the horticultural world and attends many shows that gather passionate gardeners nationwide. He also runs a weekly gardening podcast, “Through the Garden Gate,” with his friend Jamie. Horticulture is known to have a nurturing effect on our minds and bodies, and it helped Marc during a difficult time some years ago. His son suffered brain damage at birth, resulting in a diagnosis of Cerebral Palsy and Autism, so gardening has helped Marc through the past nine years. During a tough time at the hospital, Marc’s mother advised him to go home and do some gardening, which helped him pick up the pieces and face the challenges.
His love for horticulture has spread through his Instagram account and his home’s long, narrow garden. The space features an area for exotic and giant plants, a vegetable patch where Marc grows food for his family, a willow dome, and several pallet planters. The garden is a beautiful place for the whole family to enjoy, dogs included.
“I believe that we need to get back to basics and stop relying on the globalised food network and grow as much of our food as possible,” Marc says. “It’s so much better for our physical and mental health.”
Listen to his podcast on Spotify: Through The Garden Gate.
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Marc Ridpath has his dream job as a head gardener at a private estate and shares his love for growing in his weekly podcast, "Through the Garden Gate.”
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