Alex Webster, Earth Gardening Services
How did you get into gardening?
I was a fisherman for five years when I was young, then one day I came ashore and decided it was time to do something different. I knew how to prune a rose bush and what a daffodil looked like so thought I’d try gardening! I started with a strimmer and a second hand motorbike and went from there.
Are you a one-man band?
No, I run the business with my wife Mandy and my daughter Ruby. She’s just 17 so we don’t know if this is it for her, but she is certainly enjoying it for the moment. Dad hopes she will stick around! We used to run a much bigger business called Essential Earthmen. We won national awards and exhibited at shows like Hampton Court. We also trained quite a few local lads who went onto work all over the world.
What do you like about the profession?
I love being outside with my black lab Bill, he comes everywhere with me. One day it might be a small plot planting flowers, the next it could be on a 2-acre site hedge laying. Many clients ‘give me’ their garden for the time I’m on the project – it’s mine to play with. I like that; it shows people trust us to do the job.
What’s the key to being a good gardener?
I think it’s about management not maintenance. So many people play catch up in their garden. You need to take time to think and plan so you are always one step ahead of the garden rather than the garden being one step ahead of you! I make sure I keep on top of the new trends so when clients come up to me clutching a copy of Gardeners World and point to a picture I already know how to do it!
What’s the current trend?
Perennial meadows.
Do you chat to other gardeners?
Yes, good gardeners share ideas and chat about new trends. It’s not about keeping secrets in this game.
I’m doing talks at Stoke Fleming Village Hall and encouraging young gardeners to exhibit in the annual show. It’s not just about humorous shaped vegetables, tea and scones – these events are a great platform to get your work seen and make a name for yourself.
Is it easy to find work in Dartmouth?
Yes. It’s all about word of mouth around here. And of course showing my vegetables at the Stoke Fleming Village Show helps!
What’s your garden like at home?
Surprisingly enough I don’t have one! Just a small balcony. But we do have an allotment where we also rear pigs.
Do you find yourself always judging gardens as you walk down the street?
It is hard to completely switch off! I sometimes get annoyed when people let their garden fall into disrepair or dump rubbish on it. So many people would love a piece of earth to call their own and others abuse it.
What gets you through the cold and rainy days?
Music, and lots of it! I like most things. That’s something my daughter and I have in common. We regularly go to gigs together: Kaiser Chiefs, London Grammar, Fleetwood Mac. We give each other CDs and say, “try this”. I love discovering new bands.
What else do you do in your spare time? Go round gardens?!
(Laughs) You can sometimes find me at the Lost Gardens of Heligan or the Eden Project, partly to appreciate … partly to pinch ideas! Mainly we are out walking Bill the dog. We like taking him up on the moor and around the coast path. We enjoy visiting Bath and plan to go to the Isles of Scilly later this year.
