Aaron Meadows; Nursery Manager
The third in our Professional Series Blog features the aptly named Aaron Meadows, Nursery Manager at Darsham Nurseries in Suffolk.
Like many of the people we have spoken to as part of this series, Aaron’s affinity with nature started at a young age working as a Groundsman’s Assistant at Cockfield Hall through his teens. His experience at this country estate gave him the opportunity to work with the British countryside in its rawest and most traditional forms.
Following school Aaron began a career in Butchery but the “contrast of working in stainless steel walled rooms and walk-in freezers to the open space and natural sounds and smells of the outdoors” pushed Aaron to return to a role that connected him with nature.
In a brave move away from the security of his butchery career, Aaron took a role working part-time, self-employed as a gardener at the newly opened Darsham Nurseries in Suffolk. This was to prove a risk worth taking as he quickly became an integral, full-time member of staff and more recently transitioned to Nursery Manager.
For those who haven’t visited Darsham Nurseries, it is a quite extraordinary place. David Keleel who co-owns the much admired business cites it as a “nursery first and foremost” but those who have visited recognise that it is so much more than that. The attention to detail here is more akin to a garden that one would pay to visit, with plants grown and displayed in a way that makes it a joy to just wander the rows of them.
Aaron cites his time at Darsham as “a rare opportunity to see and contribute to a business starting from scratch”. Darsham nurseries started life as a few plants sold from tables but now has a thriving client base who travel from miles around to admire (and purchase) Darsham’s home grown plants and produce. Darsham has a kitchen garden which, like everything else there, is an aesthetic marvel but more so boasts a wonderful array of vegetables which form the basis for the seasonal menu at their acclaimed café. To top it all off there is also a shop more akin to a treasure trove selling a selection of gifts, products and home ware with the same “quality, functionality and simple aesthetic that informs the whole nursery”.
The thing that is striking about Darsham is not only the attention to detail but the focus on local, seasonal and home grown; an approach to running a British business that is fast becoming a rare one. It’s clear when you meet Aaron that his morals, ethics and values are very much in line with this ethos (and ours here at Studio 31) and yet for all his remarkable qualities Aaron is one of the most humble people, I have had the pleasure to meet. He credits Darsham with being “fundamental in building his knowledge of gardening, plants, landscaping, and running a nursery” and states his favourite parts of the job simply as;
“working with a diverse group of people with different ideas and experience in horticulture; that fascinates me. Advising customers on their unique gardens and gathering inspiration from their gardening experiences. Also …working outside every day, means I get to experience all weathers and seasons, plant cycles and the wildlife associated with them.”
What’s clear about that response is that despite his expertise, he still has a thirst for learning and he hasn’t lost any of his deep rooted passion for the outdoors. He also really grasps the strong connection between people and the natural world;
“A friend and colleague, Jevan Watkins-Jones has put this in great perspective for me in his Alternative Yellow Book, ‘People, Plants, and Their Roots’. In this, Jevan interviews elderly people from the village of Dunmow, asking them about their memories of gardening and plants. The strength of these people’s memories really emphasised to me the connection people have to plants and nature.”
Aaron spoke passionately about the diverse definition of a garden and the need for us to be considerate in our design to create a balance of aesthetic and natural benefits. He spoke about design “following the seasons through the cycle of plants, appreciating the beauty of all aspects of plants… whether that be buds, stems, hips, leaves, structure, and movement”
Away from work, Aaron is still wholly absorbed in nature and talks of his woodworking with equal measure of passion;
“I see real beauty in bringing out the character, highlighting the story of the wood, from saw lines where it was first cut to scratches and dents that it received along the way. Saving materials that would otherwise be thrown away, and turning them into something functional and attractive is very rewarding.”
Darsham Nurseries is beginning to be reviewed across all the major media outlets, featuring more than once on the Guardian’s radar and is quickly becoming a major player in the world of bespoke garden nurseries. And whilst one cannot dismiss the extraordinary vision and perseverance of it’s co-owner David Keleel, one can’t help but just give a little nod to its humble but exceptional Nursery Manager, Aaron as well.