When you're stepping into the boots of one of the greatest gardeners of all time, they're going to be hard to fill.
Tom Coward, head gardener at Gravetye Manor, a proud Relais & Châteaux hotel in Sussex, is responsible for the grounds established by the late horticulturalist William Robinson, which span an impressive 1,000 acres across woodlands, orchards, kitchen gardens, meadows, shaded seating areas, a croquet lawn and more.
The epitome of the English natural garden, Tom is carrying forward the whimsical gardening style that William pioneered in the nineteenth century for a modern audience.
Working seven days a week come rain or shine (or drought), Tom battles the challenges of each season to keep the beautiful gardens thriving, as they provide plot-to-plate meals for the Michelin-starred restaurant and welcome thousands of visitors each year keen to take a leaf out of his book.
But with over 10 years' experience at Gravetye, and having previously trained as Fergus Garrett's deputy at Great Dixter, what one piece of advice would he give to someone planting for the first time?
"It's always good to have a look at your neighbours' front gardens to see what they are successfully growing," Tom tells Country Living on a walk through the whimsical flower displays. His dog Gwen follows by his side. "With the same conditions and soil, it's likely to grow well in your garden too. It's a good place to start."
For Tom, who currently divides his time between pruning, planting and plotting new gardening schemes, there's another piece of advice he lives by.
"It's so important to enjoy gardening if it's not your job," he tells us. "Analyse your garden. Work out what gives you the most joy and what feels like chores. Be ruthless. Cut all the chores out and focus on growing what makes you happy."
While the mixed beds at Gravetye are a colourful and luscious affair (filled with annuals, tender perennials, herbaceous perennials and green shrubs), the lawns are a different story.
With a hosepipe ban in place for the area, the once-green stripes have been replaced with a sea of sad, straw-like brown. The croquet set has been sat in the corner for weeks, as visitors swap summer games under the scorching sun for Ridgeview bubbles in the shade.
"The weather is driving me mad," says Tom. "We have to establish new trees, but they need so much water. We try climate modelling, looking at places like Barcelona, but it doesn't really work for us because our winters are so wet. When the weather is as dry as this, it's important to look at what's actually thriving. That can give you ideas about what to focus on next year."
Desperately waiting for rainfall like the rest of the country, Tom doesn't let the weather get in the way of seasonal tasks.
Even as dinner guests arrive for their 7pm booking, Tom shows no sign of heading home. "I'm currently getting spring bulbs ready for planting, lifting tender perennials, picking apples for the kitchen, and sowing hardy annuals for spring planting."
William Robinson might not have lived to see Tom and the team's work at Gravetye, but the gardens are certainly something he would be proud of.
Book a garden tour at Gravetye Manor by visiting gravetyemanor.co.uk. Tours take place on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from April until October, starting at 11.00 am. Tours are available to anyone with a lunch reservation in the dining room or staying at the hotel. Tours last approximately an hour and a half. The cost is £30 per person (£25 per person for residents).
Spring bulbs to order now
Narcissus 'Thalia'
Narcissus miscellaneous daffodil bulbs - Narcissus Tete a Tete
Crocus Vanguard | Large Flowering Crocus
Galanthus nivalis
Lisa Joyner is the Deputy Daily Editor at House Beautiful UK and Country Living UK, where she's busy writing about home and interiors, gardening, dog breeds, pets, health and wellbeing, countryside news, small space inspiration, and the hottest properties on the market. Previously, she has written for Conde Nast Traveller, House & Garden and Marie Claire magazine. Lisa studied at University For The Creative Arts, where she completed a BA in Fashion Journalism.
