An autobiographical tour of the gardens Arthur Parkinson grew up in

About this video

During what seems an interminable wait for spring, we travel to Nottingham to meet the writer and gardener Arthur Parkinson, one of the most influential young gardeners in the UK. Our host, Francine Raymond, has known Arthur since he wrote to me as a small boy, and they've kept in touch because of their mutual love of hens. For our fifth episode of the How My Garden Grows podcast, Arthur shows us around three gardens that have been pivotal to his love of nature, hens and gardens. “I come from a world of small urban gardens,” he tells us as we stand in his mum’s tiny front garden, crammed full of pots filled with bulbs just beginning to flower under their squirrel protection. It’s precisely here – at home with his mum and brother, being allowed to forage, harvest and play unhindered in this plot – that his path was set. Film by Ellen Hancock With additional footage by Conor Higgins CHAPTERS 00:4 Arthur’s mum’s garden in Hucknall, where he grew up 01:15 What got Arthur into gardening?  02:19 What bulbs are planted in the containers in the front garden? 03:59 Using perennials instead of boundary hedges 04:35 How did gardening become a career? 05:29 Planting crab apples in the front garden 06:33 Creating a sanctuary for birds 07:14 The joy of messy gardening 07:48 The pleasure of harvesting from the garden 08:05 Arthur’s dad’s house – where he keeps hens 08:48 We meet some Belgian sablepoots. 09:17 What advice would you give to someone who wants to keep chickens? 09:56 What plants are tolerant and what will need protecting 10:08 Having a good run attached to the hen house 10:36 Keeping everything up off the floor 10:56 Cuddling cockerels 11:33 Chicken gadgets and accessories 12:07 Keeping your chickens clean 12:31 What to feed your chickens 13:34 Egg laying 14:13 Looking after your grass 15:03 Visiting Arthur’s grandma Sheila 15:49 Arthur’s introduction to the countryside 17:13 Letting the communal front lawn grow wild 17:44 Establishing yellow rattle 18:00 Appearance of bats at dusk 18:27 Planting in the front garden  Never miss a new film, subscribe here: https://bit.ly/36I7z8y Follow us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/themodernhouse/ & https://www.instagram.com/inigo.house/ Selling design-led homes in the UK: https://www.themodernhouse.com Selling historic homes in the UK: https://www.inigo.com/ Like us on Facebook: https://bit.ly/34BKO3x & https://www.facebook.com/inigo.house Home and interior inspiration, delivered to your inbox: https://www.themodernhouse.com/newsletter/ & https://www.inigo.com/#newsletter/ Listen to our latest podcast, How My Garden Grows: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/how-my-garden-grows/id1837703535 Best interiors Instagram accounts (Vogue) Best homes accounts (Guardian) Ultimate interiors accounts (Telegraph)