BEST OF BRITISH
Sarah Raven & Arit Anderson
Sarah and Arit share a passion for sustainability, and want to communicate with their audience how climate change has transformed the way they garden for the better
Horticultural entrepreneur Sarah Raven shares her gardening knowledge via courses, podcasts, TV and books. Arit Anderson is the award-winning garden designer and TV presenter bringing a fresh perspective to the traditional world of horticulture. They were introduced by mutual friend, designer Carien van Boxtel, and bonded over a passion for environmentally friendly planting and design.
Arit What really inspires me is endeavour. You are clearly a doer and I always admire anybody who is beyond expert – your knowledge of plants and gardening is encyclopaedic, Sarah. If you don’t teach what you’re doing, or speak on behalf of others, or showcase things, how does the world turn round? That’s where you’re brilliant because you do show and tell…
Sarah I think we share a similar aesthetic and outlook on life. The first time I clocked you, Arit, was when you were interviewing Dan Pearson at the Garden Museum. You were very vital in the way you looked and spoke.
A Idid have a very big yellow dress on that day! S Ilike your bravery, because to float to the top in horticulture, you’ve got to have some elbows on you – especially if you’re a woman.
A Coming into it so early, literally doing a show garden and then being on TV, I hardly caught my breath. I thought, if I don’t know what I’m talking about at least I know how to wear a frock…
S But that’s great. You’ve definitely shaken things up a bit! TV still has a huge influence; whenever we survey our customers, so many of them watch Gardeners’ World.
A Iagree, TV is really important in managing the transition of old to new in a changing climate. The brownfield and wildlife styles are coming through and people understand that some of the traditional elements of gardening aren’t right any more. When I first gardened, I usedproductstopromoteplantgrowthorcontrol black spot on roses... that was the norm right? And this is only 10 years ago. My planting remit to myself now is that it has to be edible, medicinal orbeneficialtowildlife.It’snotabouthowitlooks…
S Ilived at Sissinghurst for 10 years where everything is so immaculate, but at my Perch Hill garden that’s just not sustainable, financiallyorenvironmentally.SoIhadtorelax,but I then noticed the benefits. To start with, we just let more things go to seed and weren’t so tidy. But now it’s very conscious and the last time we used chemicals was 10 years ago. Now we see lots of differ
