My story
Claire has always been a ‘do-er’ and worked with her hands. She has a degree in fashion and textiles. She has worked in screen printed textiles, and later in designing and making stained glass. A chance interest in growing plants to dye fabrics led her back to college to attend an organic gardening course where Claire was exposed to a whole new world!
Alongside this course Claire volunteered at Barley Wood gardens where veg was being grown for the Better Food Company. Claire was then lucky enough to be offered a 3 year apprenticeship with the National Trust based at Barrington Court where she developed her skills. From here she worked at Garden Organic near Coventry, before heading back to the South West to take a gardening role at Hestercombe Gardens where Claire became head gardener and worked for 17 years. Recently Claire has started a new horticultural adventure on a private estate to develop an old walled garden. Claire also helps the Garden Masterclass to present webinars and record podcasts, as well as carrying out some garden consultations.
Claire says, ‘Gardening to me embraces everything that I love, design, colour, plants and nurture. I love plants, places and people and where all of that overlaps is where the magic lies.’
Media & Communication
I love communicating- whether that is through talking, pictures, or writing. The most joyous thing about being a gardener is that we love to share, that might be a packet of seeds, a plant , or a key piece of advice. Everything is shared. Communicating is another great way of sharing. My career in horticulture has often led to me working in media, from local radio discussions about blossom or autumn colour, or what to do in the garden each month, to appearing on TV.
I have really enjoyed communicating in this way. I have a natural, easy way about me. I am confident in front of a camera or a microphone. I am happy to work spontaneously and to respond to a producer's direction. I am a natural host and like to make people feel comfortable, and relaxed around me. Mainly I want to spread joy!
TV work
2025 CGTN Europe. Traces of China. The Chinese revolution in British garden design.
2023 BBC Politics West- discussing use of peat in horticulture.
2023 Channel 5 Somerset: Wonder of the West Country .
2023 ITV This Morning- with Julia Bradbury ‘Get Britain Walking’.
Various items for BBC Points West and ITV news Westcountry.
2020 BBC2 Gardeners World episode 14- how Hestercombe gardens coped with lockdown.
2020 ARTE TV - discussing Gertrude Jekyll.
2018 BBC2 Monty Don’s Paradise Gardens episode 2.
2018 BBC2 Great British Railway Journeys. Series 9 episode 9.
2017 BBC2 Flog it!
2016 BBC2 Gardeners World episode 22 - piece about rare Gladioli brenchleyensis.
2015 BBC2 The Secret History of the British Garden- Hestercombe arts and crafts movement .
2015 ITV Love Your Garden.
2015 BBC1 Escape to the Country. Series 15 episode 51.
2014 BBC1 A Taste of the West. Series 1 episode 14.
2012 BBC2 Gardeners World episode 23- piece about Gertrude Jekyll.
Lectures
Feb 26 USA tour for Garden Masterclass. Panel discussion ‘In the Footsteps of Giants’ lecturing at New England Botanic Garden, Old Westbury Court Garden, Sag Harbour Theatre, Swarthmore College.
Feb 26 Shepton mallet snowdrop festival- Interview with Abigail Willis. Plus part of a Gardeners Question Time panel.
Sept 25 Yeo Valley garden festival- panel discussion- ‘Great Expectations, the challenges of gardening sustainably in a public space’
Aug 25 Taunton flower show. Gardeners Question time panel.
July 25 Charleston garden festival- panel discussion- ‘In the Footsteps of Giants’
Aug 24 Taunton Flower Show. ‘The Life of a Head gardener’.
May 24 Bath and West Show. ‘The Changing Face of Horticulture’.
Sept 23 Chatsworth estate- Speaker at Garden masterclass seminar ‘Growth and change- managing a dynamic garden and landscape into the future’.
2019 Maison Francais Oxford. Green Walls- garden and landscape seminar.
Podcasts and radio
The Sod Show podcast
Somerset Stories podcast
Lutyens Trust America- 2 x webinars
Garden masterclass webinars and podcasts
BBC radio Somerset
Local radio- Tone fm, Apple fm, 10 radio
Social media
I have over 10k followers on instagram and I regularly share posts, information, and stories. Follow and see what I’ve been up to.
Written Word
What Gardeners Grow - book published by Bloom. Piece written about my 3 favourite plants.
Newsletters and blogs for Hestercombe Gardens Trust.
Somerset Country Gardensmagazine- various contributions .
Gardens Illustrated magazine. People- Gardening Talent.
Horticulture UK magazine- various contributions.
Exmoor magazine- various contributions .
Somerset Living magazine
Somerset Life magazine
RHS Garden magazine - copy for the Partner garden scheme.
Monkton Heathfield, Taunton, parish magazine
Garden club talks
I normally give about 20 talks per year to garden clubs in the South West. See Talks.
