My Day

Seán Heffernan - Head Gardener, Mount Usher Gardens

I STARTED HERE eight years ago as assistant head gardener. I had been working up in Airfield gardens in Dundrum and was offered the position of head gardener there, but I chose to be assistant head gardener here instead because, in horticultural circles, Mount Usher is world famous. I became head gardener five years ago.

I am addicted to gardening. I think when you find your niche you are just happy to put in the hours, whether early in the morning or late in the evening.

I live in a cottage in the gardens, in a beautiful little spot. Dogs aren’t allowed in Mount Usher, but in the morning I get to walk my two little Jack Russells through it before we open.

Because we use no chemicals, the wildlife here is incredible – we have kingfishers in the pond and buzzards and sparrow hawks, as well as otters in the river and, of course, foxes and badgers.

We very much adhere to Robinsonian gardening traditions, which were a kick against the very straight-lined formality of Victorian gardening.

People think of Robinsonian as the horticultural equivalent of “bed hair”, but it’s not unkempt – it’s about not over-sanitising the gardens and allowing a more natural look for the plants. It has resulted in a very protected space for other wildlife too.

I write up all the tasks that need doing each day the night before, as well as whom to allocate each to. We have five staff here and our day runs from 8.30am to 5pm. This morning we are planting out and putting in new herbaceous borders.

We had a lot of losses over the winter because of the weather, particularly the snow. We have a reputation for our slightly exotic, tender plants and some of them were wiped out. It’s a loss but it’s also an opportunity to improve things.

We have 5,000 species of plants and, if I have four of something already and lose one, I can put in something new.

Lunch is from 1pm to 2pm and I go home to eat.

We have 23 acres and gardening is cyclical, so there is no start or finish to the work and you never get ahead of yourself. The trick is to prioritise.

My favourite spot in the garden is the Primula Walk, which I developed, near the pond.

We open from February to October and the winter is when we do all the big jobs, such as the tree surgery or clearing paths and creating extra drainage.

I love all the seasons, but what I love most is going back into the gardens late in the evening when all the people have gone and everything is quiet enough for the wildlife to return.

- Sean Heffernan is head gardener at Mount Usher Gardens in Ashford, Co Wicklow