I grew up on a farm, with gardeners on one side of the family and farmers on the other, so working with plants has always been in my blood. My first paid gardening job was in 1978, and I’ve been working with gardens ever since. After several years with landscape and grounds maintenance companies, I started my own business. I began with large local houses before moving into housing association contracts, at one point running four vans and a team of up to eight. After 25 years, the rise of multinational contractors made it hard for a small, independent business to compete, so I scaled back.

Today, I focus on maintaining large country houses and a few commercial sites alongside my wife, prioritising quality and long-term care over volume. Alongside my practical gardening work, I founded The Local Gardener Newspaper, a newspaper and online resource for gardeners. Its aim is to provide clear, practical, experience-led information on horticultural news, research, and techniques, helping gardeners stay informed and inspired in an ever-changing industry. I’ve also developed my own tropical-style garden. What began as a personal project has become my main passion—experimenting with bold, architectural plants and creating a lush, tropical feel in the UK climate. This garden now guides much of my writing, teaching, and practical advice.