About Steve
For most of us, gardening is a hobby. Something to while away an hour or two in the summer, before we sit back, relax and enjoy the fruits of our labours.
Not so for Steve Edney, for whom gardening is his passion – indeed, his life.
As far back as he can remember, Steve has worked with – and on – the land. As a small boy, brought up in the hinterland of Margate, he spent hours down on the farm with his grandparents, helping the menfolk to dig, plough and harvest, before moving indoors to help his grandmother prepare, pack and freeze some of the crops, while turning others into delicious preserves, jams and pickles for eager consumption at the end of a hard day’s toil.
Traditional farmhouse life was pretty much echoed with his other grandparents, who had an allotment and were forever planting, sowing and growing to help feed the family. Steve recalls: “Neither of my parents was particularly keen on gardening, but as a child I was always out digging and getting my hands dirty with one granddad or the other. Then I would help my nan with the chopping, peeling and pickling. I loved it!” When he left King Ethelbert’s School, Birchington, at the age of 16, Steve had already packed in years of practical experience, so going to Hadlow College, near Tonbridge, to get some formal training credits seemed the sensible thing to do.
Steve now has a clutch of certificates to his name, but his real driving force is his determination and passion for the land, plus a solid practical ability to, literally, get his hands dirty and get stuck in!Evidence of Steve’s passion can be seen at The Secret Gardens of Sandwich, where he has been Head Gardener for the past five years. During that time, he has transformed a desolate, neglected garden into a flourishing and magnificent oasis of calm and tranquillity, bursting with blooms and species from all corners of the globe. Of course, he hasn’t done it single-handedly. Today, he has a team of three other gardeners and four students, also from Hadlow College, to help run the exacting round-the-clock rota which keeps these stunning gardens in their prime throughout the changing seasons. Sundays and Bank Holidays tend to be the busiest times for visitors, so that means a surge of extra effort in the run-up to the weekend. And there’s no let-up in the winter months; that’s when all the weeding out, sowing and propagating gets underway – as well as planting out of extra spring bulbs to ensure an early splash of colour in the Spring. As any amateur will appreciate, the role of a gardener is one of the most physically demanding jobs there is.
“It can be quite tiring spending an afternoon weeding, planting and mowing your own garden,” says Steve. “Imagine doing it for eight hours a day, five or six days a week!”
Steve maintains there are three prime reasons for choosing to work as a gardener - to earn money and because you have a love of plants and a desire to work outdoors.
“Why else would you do it? - it physically wrecks you and mentally exhausts you. Sometimes I get quite emotionally burnt out.”
“But”, he adds with a grin, “you’ll never need to go to the gym – so I suppose there are some perks to be had!”
A willingness to work hard and good people skills are an asset to the job and, since taking on the role of Head Gardener, an ability to draw up rotas, duty rosters and work to budgets has been an added advantage in managing his team. As with any job, you can’t beat hands-on experience and enthusiasm. Even as a student, Steve worked evenings and weekends as a groundsman at Sandwich Town Cricket Club to help supplement his meagre student allowance of £29.50 a week!
After spending a year studying arboriculture at Merrist Wood, near Guildford, Steve spent a time working for a local tree surgeon before branching out (ouch!) into gardening. A victim of their own success, the Secret Gardens of Sandwich are no longer quite the secret they once were. However, Steve’s vision for ongoing improvement to the gardens, in keeping with Gertrude Jekyll’s original designs, mean there will be plenty of surprises for visitors for many years to come. When Steve is not digging around in the Secret Gardens, he has a busy schedule of speaking engagements and lectures at his Alma Mater, Hadlow College. He’s also a devoted father of four.
So what does he do for relaxation at the end of a strenuous week?
Read a book? Chill out in front of the TV and watch a bit of sport?
“No! For a rest, I climb a mountain.”
Steve, who is a fully-qualified UK Mountain Leader Guide, has successfully completed the gruelling Three Peaks Challenge four times, and guided groups for charity three times. Although it took eight months in training, running seven miles a day, he still enjoys nothing more than heading for the hills, with little more than a rucksack, a tent and a camera for company. He will happily camp ‘wild’ for up to three days – with nothing and nobody to disturb him. As in the Secret Garden, mobile phones are strictly no go!
Steve said: “Half the excitement is gambling with your life – although obviously I don’t take unnecessary risks.” Flights from Manston to Edinburgh allow him to access his much-loved Scottish Highlands a whole lot quicker, while the snows of last winter meant more opportunities for his favourite ice climbs in North Wales. So, if you don’t bump into Steve on your visit to The Secret Gardens, try heading for the hills – you just might find him under canvas on a mountain top!
To find out more information about The Secret Gardens visit www.the-secretgardens.co.uk
