PLANT IT
U.K. gardener is a star
February 13, 2010
Sonia Day
SPECIAL TO THE STAR
Woo hoo. Here's a hot date not to be missed.
"Heathcliff of the Hedgerows" is coming to town.
His real name is Matthew Wilson – and he's not only a hunk, but a gardener, too. Yes, a genuine gardener. With his movie-star good looks (which have prompted the British press to make comparisons to the smouldering hero of Wuthering Heights), Wilson is one of several hipsters who manage to make the pursuit of horticulture sound so much more exciting in the U.K. than here.
And despite the sex appeal, Wilson does have a serious side. Raised on plants at his parents' nursery in Kent, he has worked in gardens operated by the Royal Horticultural Society, has served as their head of creative new ideas and is a leading garden journalist.
But Wilson's current biggest concern is the environment. He recently wrote an award-winning book called New Gardening: How to Garden in a Changing Climate, and that's what he will be talking about in Toronto.
Issues facing gardeners today – like water efficiency, wise choices in plants, how we can coexist with wildlife, and carbon reduction – will be the focus of his talk. Wilson also intends to recommend some personal faves. He is, for instance, a fan of two common native North American plants, Monarda fistulosa and Echinacea purpurea, which are easy to grow here.
He appears first at Toronto Botanical Garden at 7 p.m. on Feb. 17. Cost $20 (TBG members free). Tickets are available only at the door. www.torontobotanicalgarden.ca
And if you miss that opportunity, Wilson is speaking once more to the Ontario Rock Garden Society (again at the TBG) at noon on Feb. 21. www.onrockgarden.com
Can't wait.
www.soniaday.com
Toronto Star