For anyone in their 50s who dares to dream outside of the box, Keith and Ros Wiley are an absolute inspiration.

Keith Wiley is a highly respected plantsman who for 25 years was the head gardener and curator at The Garden House in Buckland Monachorum near Yelverton in Devon.

Under Keith’s stewardship, The Garden House became one of the most innovative gardens in Britain with breathtaking, naturalistic, wildflower-rich planting schemes based on his travels to the likes of Crete and South Africa.

A regular contributor to horticultural and lifestyle magazines and the author of 2 books, Keith has lectured on the subject of naturalistic planting on both sides of the Atlantic.

Six years ago, he and his artist wife Ros set up their own nursery on the site of a former cider orchard a short distance from The Garden House. The story of their trials, tribulations, determination and ultimate success was screened last evening on Channel 4’s excellent new series, The Landscape Man.

For anyone who missed the programme, the Wiley’s are an absolute inspiration, and we are pleased to offer the following links so that you can watch, learn, enjoy and be inspired by this remarkable couple who dared to follow their dreams despite all the odds.

Their efforts are to be applauded, and we hope you will support them by visiting Wildside Nursery when next you are in Devon. We certainly will!

Editor, Third Age.

Links:
The Wiley’s Website: Wildside Nursery
Channel 4: Wildside Nursery
Channel 4: The Landscape Man
From the Daily Telegraph

Keith Wiley’s Books:
On the Wild Side: Experiments in New Naturalism
Shade: Planting Solutions for Shady Gardens