Garden designer and TV presenter Nick Bailey, who is currently campaigning for ‘Make a Metre Matter’, a gardening initiative by BBC Gardeners’ World, talks to House Beautiful about how his travels have inspired his work and the colour palette that transformed his borders.
Travelling inspired my love of nature
I’ve lived in South Africa, and while there, I designed a 40-acre garden for the Oppenheimer family. I also visited the Cape Floral Kingdom at the southern tip of the country, which is renowned for its amazing biodiversity. Southern Africa has more endemic species than the entire northern hemisphere, so it’s a truly special place.
Years ago, I travelled in Japan; the exquisite gardens were inspiring and I was lucky enough to see the spring plum festival. Generations of families would gather in silence in the parks, captivated by the blossom.
Neil Hepworth
Nick’s Gardeners’ World pond was inspired by the beauty of Japanese gardens
I’ve been planting 100,000 bulbs to create a paisley pattern
Together with an army of volunteers, I’ve been working at the Botanic Garden at the University of Leicester to create this inspiring space. The swirling gold, purple and white North Indian pattern represents the large Asian community in the city and will stretch across nearly three acres of lawns. As director of the gardens, I’ve loved being part of the project.
We can all ‘Make a Metre Matter’
I’m passionate about this gardening campaign, launched by BBC Gardeners’ World last year – it’s something everyone can get behind. The idea is to transform one square metre of outdoor space to help the planet.
You could create a thriving pollinator patch with catmint and salvias, make a compost heap or even grow succulents or tomatoes in pocket planters on a wall. Just think what a difference it would make if all 20 million gardeners in Britain did this.
Jasenka Arbanas//Getty Images
Nasturtiums
Nasturtiums are so easy to grow
Plant the seeds in a small pot or margarine tub, germinate them on a windowsill, then repot into larger containers. You can then plant them into windowboxes or hanging baskets. What’s more, you can eat the leaves and use the seeds instead of capers.
Wine corks can be recycled as mulch
It’s a brilliant gardening hack! Break the corks up into small chunks and layer them around your plants. I’m anti-plastic in the garden and use biodegradable garden netting made from corn kernels.
I moved here three years ago, and the garden was a blank canvas. Since then, I’ve introduced herbaceous plants in pale blue, peach and burgundy, with pops of lime – I’m just obsessed with this palette!
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Vikki is the Senior News and Features Writer at House Beautiful UK. She writes on sustainability issues and enjoys interviewing gardening and wildlife/eco experts for the magazine’s regular profile feature. Vikki has over twenty years journalism experience writing for various titles including Woman and Home, Good Homes, Ideal Home, The English Home as well as features for The Sunday Times Style magazine and The Telegraph newspaper. After a BA Honours degree in English and History from the Univeristy of Surrey, she gained a postgraduate degree in magazine journalism at Cardiff School of Journalism, Media and Culture.
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