As part of our ‘From the Plot’ series on Instagram, we’ve been talking to the generous gardeners who regularly share their tips, tricks, successes and failures with other fruit and veg growers. We recently spoke to Richard Bowman, aka @northern_horticulturist, whose cottage garden style and organic allotment serve as inspiration to many.
Here’s what Richard told us in the full interview…
I was inspired by my grandad
I’ve always gardened. My grandad pushed me down to the veg patch in the wheelbarrow before I could walk, and so I’ve got him to thank for passing on his passion for plants. He was the one who inspired me to pick up a trowel. Now I’m a trained horticulturist, but gardening is so much more than my hobby and my job. It brings me joy and fulfilment like nothing else.
My favourite style is cottage garden
Images courtesy of @northern_horticulturist
I love a cottage garden and, as I’ve recently moved into a lovely 18th century cottage, my favourite style is now my default setting!
I’ve also just acquired an allotment so there’s lots of work to be done this year. I’m planning to grow on a totally organic basis.
I love to grow peas from seed
Peas have got to be my favourite crop to grow. Sadly, they never make it to the table – as soon as they’re ready, I can’t resist picking them to eat fresh from the pod.
My top gardening achievements
Images courtesy of @northern_horticulturist
I was really proud to win two awards in 2024 – the ‘People’s Choice’ and ‘Best in Show’ at Belvoir Castle Flower and Garden Show. My show garden was dedicated to the gardeners who lost their lives in the First and Second World Wars and was inspired by a tin of newspaper obituaries found in my late Uncle’s potting shed. The colour palette came from my native North Yorkshire Moors with accents of purples, reds and yellows. The most poignant plant in the garden was the poppy which came into bloom just in time to steal the show!
That’s got to be my gardening highlight so far, but on a day-to-day basis, I’m always delighted with every seedling that pops up!
I have another show garden in the works, supported by Suttons – just waiting on confirmation from the RHS for my design. I’m also writing a few articles for horticultural magazines and journals, so watch this space…
Embracing mistakes is the best way to learn
My top tip for anyone who’s just getting into gardening is not to be put off by mistakes. Mistakes are there to learn from. Gardening is all about trial and error, and even the most experienced horticulturists sometimes get it wrong.
Grow like Richard
‘Kelvedon Wonder’ is a popular variety that is extremely high-yielding
Image: Pea ‘Kelvedon Wonder’ (Organic) seeds from Suttons
If you want to try some of fruit and veg that Richard grows, here’s a quick shopping list:
You can follow Richard over at @northern_horticulturist. And if you want to read about other inspirational growers, check out our #suttonsfromtheplot series over on Instagram.
