Danny Clarke’s Work With Grow2Know: ‘Whoever You Are, Gardening Is Good For You’

---

We had the pleasure of speaking with Garden Designer and TV Presenter Danny Clarke, also known as The Black Gardener.

Danny is the Director of Grow2Know, a not-for-profit organisation set up by CEO Tayshan Hayden-Smith that aims to get young people from disadvantaged communities involved with gardening and horticulture.

From chatting with Danny, it’s clear how passionate he is about this project, which he claims, to his delight, is slowly starting to take up more and more of his time.

He also works on shows such as Love Your Garden and Filthy Garden SOS, having previously presented coverage of RHS Chelsea and Tatton Flower shows on the BBC.

Read on to discover more about Danny and his incredible career in his own words.

Imagery featured in this article is provided courtesy of Neil Marshment Photography.

Where Did Your Journey With Gardening & The Great Outdoors Begin?

“It all started, I think, from my childhood,” he said. “I was always outside in nature. My early years were spent outdoors, I was barely ever inside.

“When I got my own garden, it evoked memories of my childhood. I remember my dad once saying to me to go out in the garden and find him a four-leaf clover – we know how rare they are.

“When I looked at the clover in my own garden, I remembered what my dad said. I didn’t really know a plant from a weed when I first had my own space, but I found myself enjoying being outside because it was a link to my past.

“When we have that link to our past, especially of happy memories, it’s quite comforting. Before I knew it, I just wanted to be in the garden all the time and it just became a real pleasure.”

When Did You First Decide To Work In The Horticulture Industry?

“I didn’t suddenly become a gardener, it was little steps first,” Danny shares.

“Back in the 90s, I worked in sales and had my own business. One day, I got a phone call from a lady who wanted me to work for her in her garden.

“I agreed to work for her for one day a week. I had no intention of being a gardener, it was just to bring a bit of money in and put food on the table.

“What she didn’t know about gardening, you could put on the back of a postage stamp. She taught me that there’s beauty in everything if you choose to find it, and that just completely changed my frame of mind.

“She became my mentor, and during the 3 years I spent with her before her death, people would approach me, offering me other gardening work. It eventually became a no-brainer and I turned to horticulture as a proper means of earning money.”

She Clearly Had A Big Influence On You…

“If I hadn’t known her, I wouldn’t be here talking to you.”

Danny had many stories to tell about the woman that first hired him, but one story stuck out in particular.

“At the Chelsea Flower Show last year, we had a lot of media attention,” he shared.

“I was doing a radio interview, talking about how this woman became a mentor to me. When the interview was over, I turned around and saw her daughter, who I hadn’t seen since she had passed away all those years ago.

“It was a really emotional moment and it meant a lot to me that her daughter heard all the amazing things I had to say about her mum.

“Like I said, I would not be on this journey if it wasn’t for her.”

Can You Tell Us More About Your Journey With Grow2Know?

“I met the CEO of Grow2Know Tayshan Hayden-Smith soon after the Grenfell fire,” says Danny.

“He turned to guerrilla gardening as a way of healing. He would find a community space and pick up litter or go and find some failing plants and nurse them back to life.

“This got him talking to the community and he got a lot out of it. Shortly after, I was put in contact with him and, in the last 6 years, we’ve been on this amazing journey together.

“Tayshan wanted to promote the virtues that he got out of gardening to a wider audience, which is why Grow2Know was formed. It’s all about bringing horticulture to as many people as possible.

“We’re about diversity, inclusion and just saying to whoever you are, gardening is good for you.”

What’s Been Your Favourite Experience With Grow2Know So Far?

“I was involved with Grow2Know in producing a garden at the Chelsea Flower Show last year and it had a very strong message that was really well received.

“Last year’s garden was paying homage to the immigrants who came to this country from the West Indies in the early 50s. We were telling the story of their bravery and the things they had to endure through the garden.

“Our subject was a restaurant called Mangrove that was owned by Frank Crichlow, who came from Trinidad in the early 50s,” explains Danny.

“It was an amazing place. Malcolm X, Mohammed Ali and Jimmy Hendrix all visited.

“However, this restaurant was raided and brutalised by the police throughout the 1960s-1980s for no reason.

“Within the confines of the premises, there were people that would protest peacefully against this. In one of the protests, 9 people were arrested and charged with causing a riot, which, of course, they didn’t.

“The case went to court and the Mangrove nine defended themselves and won. It was a landmark victory which caused the judicial system to challenge the police, and the ramifications of this are still felt today.

“Our garden told this story. We juxtaposed this brutality of man against man with man against nature. Mangrove trees are a safe haven for wildlife and we wanted to show that the restaurant should have been the same.”

What’s Next For Grow2Know?

“We’ve got some exciting stuff coming up in the near future,” Danny teased, joking that if we’d interviewed him in a couple of weeks he’d be able to tell us all about it.

“We’ll be doing something at the Chelsea Flower Show this year. I never thought we would top what we did last year, but we are signposting a new idea for next year at this year’s show.”

Can You Give Us Any Indication Of What It’s About?

“It’s to do with inclusivity and a lack of access when it comes to nature for certain sections of the population,” says Danny.

“For some reason, nature seems to be the preserve of people who have money. We are going to highlight that difference with this garden.”

Do You Have A Process That You Follow When Designing Gardens?

“When it comes to redesigning gardens, I try to keep as much from the existing garden as possible,” says Danny. “I work with a space and not against it.

“As much as I can, I try not to rip anything out unless it’s necessary. I look to reuse things. For example, if there’s some crazy patio that needs removing, I won’t just throw the tiles away, I’ll break it up and use it as hard-core.

“It’s taking that mentality of reusing and sustainability into my design space and working with what you’ve got whilst enhancing it.

“For me, it’s also important to speak to the client and not impose what you think on them. They will be able to design the garden for you if you ask them the right questions.

“That garden has got to be about their personality and not about you.”

How Do You Make The Most Out Of Nature In Your Spare Time?

“I get my fix not only from working in other people’s spaces, but I visit lots of great gardens near me and go on lovely walks near where I live.

“A garden is your link to nature and what gives us that calm feeling.

“There’s nothing nicer than going out into an open space and feeling the wind on your skin, listening to the birds tweeting and smelling the scent of flowers.”

You’ve Had Such A Successful Career As A Horticulturist. Do You Have Any Career Highlights That You Are Particularly Fond Of?

“One of my career highlights is obviously the Grow2Know stuff and the Chelsea Flower Show I did with them.

“I was on The One Show last year at Buckingham Palace on behalf of the charity The Queen’s Green Canopy, encouraging people to plant trees in their garden to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.

“Being able to talk about one of my passions at Buckingham Palace was a huge highlight.

“I was also commissioned to build a COVID garden at Gloucestershire Royal Hospital 2 years ago to say thank you to the nurses, doctors and staff for being at the frontline of the pandemic. That was a real honour and a huge moment for me.”

Do You Have Any Advice For Aspiring Gardeners?

“People often beat themselves up and feel like they need to know Latin names and everything about each individual plant, but they don’t,” says Danny. “A lot of it is just instinctive.”

“Being green-fingered is about observation. A plant will tell you what it needs and what it doesn’t need, and if a plant needs something, it won’t just die. They’re no different from people in this way.”

“Don’t look at gardening as a chore,” he adds. “Look at it as something to be enjoyed and take a holistic approach. Just enjoy being in an outdoor space and be in touch with your surroundings.

“Gardening gives you the excuse to be outside and encompass all that nature has to offer. If you’re out in your space and spot a weed, pull it up. Gradually build on this and you will find satisfaction from it.

“Before you know it, it will infiltrate into your being and it just becomes a habit. That is definitely what happened to me.”