Sunil Patel And 13 Broom Acres: Opening Up His Garden To The Public For Charity
Contributions From SUNIL PATEL
Sunil is the owner and curator of the garden at 13 Broom Acres, which is open to the public during the summer months under the National Garden Scheme. He has also published a book, ‘A Year In A Small Garden’, about the changes over the course of a year in his garden.
Sunil Patel has been documenting his gardening journey online for almost 10 years.
He owns 13 Broom Acres, home to an open garden that can be visited during the summer months under the National Garden Scheme, and has even published his own book about his experiences, titled A Year In A Small Garden.
I spoke to Sunil to learn more about his love of gardening and the garden at 13 Broom Acres.
Please note that the imagery featured in this article is provided courtesy of Sunil Patel and 13 Broom Acres.
How Did You Get Into Gardening?
“I remember when I was a young child, my grandfather would exclusively grow two plants – African marigolds and spinach,” says Sunil.
“I was amazed by the big, vibrant flower heads of one, and the fact that you could pick and eat the other. I wanted to have that same ‘green touch’ and this stayed with me, although dormant, through childhood and adolescence.
“The gardening bug was finally unleashed in adulthood when I moved to a place with a small garden I could get thoroughly stuck into.”
Why Do You Think You’re So Passionate About Gardening?
“Gardening is my creative outlet and nature is the ultimate palette to draw from.
“Being able to create something beautiful, calming, energising, nourishing, joyful, healing, refreshing; all of these things from a single space, is very fulfilling for me.
“There’s also a sense of achievement and humbling responsibility in growing a community of plants, which condition the soil, that then brings in insects, bees, wildlife and, before you know it, you’re the custodian of a miniature thriving ecosystem.”
How Did The Garden At 13 Broom Acres Become A Garden That The Public Could Visit? When Did This Become More Than A Hobby For You?
“I got into gardening in a big way in a small garden,” he explains. “It was perfectly sized for a practice garden and I learned about soil, climate conditions, plants, pests and horticulture in general.
“It was also then that I saw a TV series about people opening their gardens to the public under the National Garden Scheme.
“I was so inspired by that TV series and by the mission of the National Garden Scheme that, when we moved to Broom Acres, one of the criteria was to have a larger garden that would also be suitable for an open garden.
“You could say that it became more than just a hobby from the moment we moved. I was determined to create the best garden I could because of the opportunity I had in being given a much larger space to work with.”
You’ve Been Blogging About Your Gardening Experiences For Years Now. How Important Is The Online Gardening Community To You?
“I’ve been blogging for over a decade, which is probably over a century in internet years, and I’ve made several friends along the way. I’ve even met some of them as they were passing through on their holiday!
“The online gardening community is very important because that’s where you’ll get gardening advice, ideas, inspiration, motivation and support. Everyone has valuable knowledge and experiences to share.
“It’s also a great way to learn and understand the challenges of growing across a vast array of climates and conditions, from desert to mountains, coping with monsoon rain and dealing with bears.
“We covet each others’ ability to effortlessly grow things we can’t while being thankful we don’t have to deal with each others’ pests and problems.”
What’s Next For You And The Garden At 13 Broom Acres? Do You Have Any Upcoming Projects You’d Like To Share?
“You’ve caught me right at the end of a nine-year project to create a garden from a suburban expanse of grass,” Sunil shares.
“All the borders are dug and planted, all the piles of rubbish have gone, the neglected shrubs have been rejuvenated and the more rampant weeds have been firmly escorted from the premises.
“That doesn’t mean the garden is done and that there’s nothing more to do. I have some gaps to fill with perennials and last winter also saw some established plants succumb to bitter cold, so they’ll need to be replaced.
“It’s actually my favourite part of gardening, namely, filling the gaps and moving plants around.
“It’s like I have the final draft script, but it just needs a little editing here and there to make it perfect.”
What Advice Do You Have For Aspiring Gardeners?
“I’d say absolutely give it a go. It’s simply not possible to fail at gardening because if something doesn’t work, there are always other ways, means and seeds or plants to try.
“There’s endless resources and advice too, from TV programs, books, magazines, blogs, local gardening groups, nurseries, allotments and social media.
“It can all be overwhelming, so start small, even if it’s just by sowing mustard seeds on wet kitchen paper (yes, that is how I got started).
“Gain confidence and get more adventurous; you’ll soon be bitten by the gardening bug and there’s no recovery from that.”
