We caught up with Steve Elstub to find out what life is like as Head Gardner at Clare College.
OC: How did you end up as Head Gardner of Clare College?
SE: I’ve been fortunate to be involved in horticulture and gardening all my working life; being Head Gardener at Clare College is the pinnacle of my career thus far, which has seen a five-year Apprenticeship with Leeds Parks Department and Head Gardener for Addenbrookes Hospital. Being the Head Gardener at Clare has given me the opportunity to work within possibly some of the best Gardens in Cambridge. It’s also such a pleasant place to work being surrounded by some of the finest architecture in the world.
OC: What do you enjoy most about your job?
SE: I really enjoy working alongside a dedicated team of gardeners, they’re great fun to be with and every day is different. There is always a challenge, which makes the job so worthwhile.
OC: What are the main challenges?
SE: The major challenge is always the weather; you can’t predict it especially these last few years. There’s also our annual May Ball… now that is a very big challenge! Generally, it’s very well organised by the undergraduates and runs very smoothly.
OC: In what way is working for a University College different to other jobs you’ve had?
SE: Clare is a College that is run, in the main, by consensus, which can mean there are too many committees but it does give everybody the opportunity to have their say and be heard. A refreshing change from many institutions today!
OC: What are the star plants in the garden?
SE: My top three plants this year (it changes every year or even twice a year) are the Bananas, huge stately plants that are giving us a six-foot leaf every week. Next is Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Fiesta Del Sol’ a plant we’re growing for the first time this year. It’s a good four-foot tall and tipped with the most brilliant two-inch vivid orange flowers; it’s a real show stopper. Lastly, I’d have to choose the climbing Clematis ‘Pearl du Azure’, a lovely pale sky-blue, which will be flowering for most of the summer.
OC: How would you characterise the garden?
SE: The Fellows’ Garden at Clare was designed just after the ending of the Second World War and is based on the Hidcote Manor Gardens in Gloucestershire; both gardens are described as having many gardens within a garden laid out in specific colour combinations. It allows us to grow and display many different styles of gardens including a Bog Garden, a Sub-Tropical Garden and a Sunken Pond Garden as well as many traditional Herbaceous Borders.
Image credit: Howard Rice