Interviewing BBC TV Presenter Nick Bailey: ‘I’ve Yet To Meet An Unpleasant Gardener’

---

Having spent over 30 years working in Horticulture, Nick Bailey has cultivated a rich career in Garden Design, Management, Writing and Broadcasting.

An honours graduate in Landscape Design from Greenwich University, he has managed gardens globally, authored best-selling books and presented on notable shows like BBC Gardeners’ World.

As the former Head Gardener at Chelsea Physic Garden, Nick reshaped and modernised its collections, which is still one of his favourite experiences.

Nick shares his time at the Physic Gardens and other career highlights in more detail during our interview.

Can You Tell Us About Your Journey Into Horticulture? What Inspired You To Study This Field?

“I suppose it’s the cliché really; my parents had a reasonably sized garden and then they bought a big chunk of the land at the back of it,” shares Nick.

“Both sets of my grandparents had big gardens, so I was always immersed in it. It was just so intrinsic to me and it was wonderful to be in that world.

“All of the resources were there for me and I had a regular discount at the local garden centre by the time I was 7 because I used to spend all of my pocket money there!

“At the weekends, I’d be out in the garden pretending to be a presenter on Gardeners’ World, which is lovely to think about as I am doing that for real now.

“I didn’t know anything different – gardening was just always part of my world.”

What Led You To A Career In Horticulture?

“I started working at the local garden centre when I was about 12,” he explains.

“I left school with very few qualifications and wasn’t sure what I wanted to do, so I spoke to my boss and asked if he would be able to take me on. Although he couldn’t afford to employ me conventionally, I started as a trainee and was on 29p an hour, which sounds horrific now!

“However, it gave me a year of employed, hands-on experience. I found a course in Kent that I wanted to do and it was essential that I had that experience, so I spent a year at the nursery doing a lot of the on-site production.

“I woke up one winter doing the potting-up motion because I spent that long doing it! Once the year was done, I started college and did a Diploma in Horticulture, which was where it all began.”

You Became A Regular Presenter On BBC Gardeners’ World In March 2016. How Did You Transition Into Broadcasting?

“I’d been doing TV for some time as I had worked in South Africa in the mid-90s and presented on their equivalent of Gardeners’ World over there, so I knew I enjoyed that type of work.

“In around 2010, I was contacted by the BBC to audition for Gardeners’ World and I did a screen test up in Birmingham. I had one of the most embarrassing moments of my life as I was getting my breakfast in the hotel they had put us up in and walked straight into a glass mirror because I thought the buffet went on further than it actually did!

“I was covered in my food and had to be costumed up for the screen test, which was not ideal. I didn’t get it, so I refocused on the rest of my career. I later got recommended for the project again a few years later and was invited back to do a screen test again and I was so nervous!

“A month went by and I didn’t hear anything so assumed the worst, but one day, I got a phone call from an unknown number whilst I was in the middle of another project.

“Someone asked if I was still okay to film the following week. I was so confused, but happily took on the project and that’s how it all began.”

What Does A Typical Working Day In The Life Look Like For You?

“There is no such thing as a typical day, as I do so many different things,” Nick says.

“I write for magazines and newspapers, work for high net-worth clients all around the country and do a lot of public speaking. I’m also working on my own garden and writing a new book, so it really is incredibly varied!

“When I’m doing a TV day, I’m absolutely knackered at the end of the day, more so than after doing any of the physical work on another day.”

You’ve Received Numerous Awards And Recognitions. Which One Holds A Special Place For You And Why?

“Being asked by HRH Prince Charles to speak at High Grove was a very lovely thing.

“Another real highlight was hosting at the Savoy for the Garden Media Guild, as it felt like quite a huge moment because I was entertaining my past, present and future employers across the industry.

“A magic moment for me was at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show one year, when I was called to the front of the garden at a press call. There was a swarm of photographers and I felt like a proper superstar!

“After, I walked down to the garden and began to sweep some stones from the path and another photographer screamed at me to get out of his shot, referring to me as the ‘bloke with the broom’. That quickly brought me back down to earth!

“Another high point was early on at the Physic Garden where the chair of trustees invited me to come up with a plan for the gardens to last the next decade or so.

“I thought it would be a process that would take months to go through, but the trustees were so happy with my plan that it was signed off in the first meeting I presented it. I’ve been lucky to have lots of those lovely moments.”

What’s Next For You? Do You Have Any Upcoming Projects That You’d Like To Share With Our Readers?

“I’m working on a book called ‘The Nature of Gardening'” Nick reveals.

“It’s about the literal essence of nature and gardening, but also about everything we can learn from nature through gardening and the landscape, whether that’s through the aesthetics or propagating.”

What’s The Biggest Lesson That Horticulture Has Taught You?

“I would say that it takes a very particular type of person to be a gardener,” he says.

“It needs a particular mindset and being. I’ve yet to meet an unpleasant gardener. Gardeners are a great bunch of people who combine our craft and science, which requires a particular skill set that I’m still trying to hone in on.”