your stories | Tom Stimpson
Tom is the Head of Horticulture here at Sarah Raven.
He oversees everything from the beauty and compatibility of the range, to managing the growing at our nursery in Lincolnshire to ensure your plants are of the very best quality.
We’re lucky to have him
Tom's garden story
Where do you garden?
Small town garden, 10mx7m, gravelled, two main flower beds and over 100 pots of all sizes
How much time do you spend in the garden each week?
As much as possible! Many weekends and then evenings for deadheading and watering
Can you pinpoint when you first got ‘into’ gardening?
When I was a child and helping my mother to plan and plant summer containers. Totally hooked.
How would you describe your gardening style in 3 words?
Abundant. Colourful. Pollinator-friendly.
Can you share three life skills you wish you were taught at school?
Time management, confidence and technology skills
What’s your ultimate gardening hack?
Adding planted pots and containers to empty spaces in the border to inject some colour during July before the dahlias and later flowering perennials kick in. It makes a huge difference to the look and feel of the garden.
What does gardening mean to you, and why do you do it?
It means an awful lot – I could not imagine my life without gardening and being close to nature. Hearing the sounds of busy birds and insects, the evening fragrance of scented flowers, sowing and cutting – it all feeds my soul.
Any tips for unwinding and switching off?
I love a good read, long walks, both locally and along the north Norfolk coast and travel – the ultimate switch off!
What is the piece of gardening kit you cannot live without?
Snips – whenever I head into the garden, I put them in my pocket for deadheading and for cutting flowers to bring inside
What's next on your reading list?
A Wood of One’s Own by Ruth Pavey. Looking forward to learning how Ruth bought 4 acres of scrubland in the Somerset levels and began to restore and plant a wood. How wonderful.
Tom's top plants for an urban plot
Tom’s Dahlia Collection
I love dahlias for their showiness, long bloom time and ease of growing plus, they make the best cut flowers and the more you cut, the more you will get! This collection was put together on one of my visits to Perch Hill. I popped out into the garden while Sarah was taking a call and came back in with this dreamy bunch. All four of these do not get huge, so perfect for smaller spaces and pots.
Elegant Fuchsia Pot Collection
I adore fuchsias. Not the big and blousy, but the classy and discreet varieties which have a delightful and delicate appearance but in fact are as tough as old boots. These three make a wonderful display for a partly shaded spot – fuchsias are at their happiest in a little shade.
Digitalis purpurea ‘F1 Dottie Mix’
This new series of foxglove is simply brilliant for small spaces and for growing in pots. Flowering reliably in the first year, all colours work fabulously together, and the bees love them. Try growing them in our new Grey Rattan Pots (medium or large size) – the ‘Dotties’ look wonderful in these.
Ethereal Poppy Collection
What is not to love about these two – the perfect pairing and quite lovely for the border and beautiful grown in terracotta pots to display on table tops and windowsills. They make wonderful cut flowers – just remember to sear the stem ends in boiling water for 10 seconds before adding to the vase.
Willow Style Metal Obelisks
These are lovely for adding extra interest to container plantings whether to give climbers some support or just to add some extra drama and structure. Delicate in appearance, but strong and sturdy, I love the fact that they rust over time to give a natural and aged look.
Discover more about Tom’s garden and his top tips for small space gardening below
your stories | Bea Andews
Read more about Bea Andrews, the creative force behind Perch Hill’s stunning floral displays at events and open days
your stories | Hazel Gardiner
Read more about Hazel Gardiner a botanical artist, broadcaster, writer, gardener, and owner of her eponymous London design studio
your stories | Gary Newell
Read more about Gary Newell, our Senior Horticultural Buyer, here at Sarah Raven
