After studying Botany at the University of Reading, I began working at specialist hardy exotic nursery Big Plant Nursery in 1999. I gained an immense practical knowledge of plants from palms and bamboos to olive trees and other choice ornamental trees and shrubs. Perhaps most importantly, working at Big Plant Nursery provided me with a greater understanding of local garden conditions, soil types and micro-climates which allowed me to help people make the correct plant choices for their garden and ensure greater success for the plants themselves.
I was also lucky enough to exhibit at many Royal Horticultural Flower shows with Big Plant Nursery, including the Wisley, Tatton Park, Hampton Court and Chelsea Flower Shows. This invaluable experience led to the development of a great attention to detail and ensuring the best is always obtained from plants. In 2009, I set up my own gardening company, The South Downs Gardener, putting into practice all of the skills, techniques and knowledge gleaned over the previous ten years and gained a loyal customer base. My main passion has always been plants and in 2015, I founded Chantry Green, focussing on plantsmanship and pruning, rather than general gardening such as lawn mowing and hedge-cutting.
In 2016, I started Miles Japanese Maples, a small backyard nursery specialising in Acer palmatum cultivars, along with a range of seed-grown maples too. The nursery has grown over the years and I am pleased to say that we have exhibited at Chelsea Flower Show since 2023. The nursery is open by appointment only, so if you would like to visit, please contact me through the website at milesjapanesemaples.co.uk
