Fiona Cumberpatch, Freelance Journalist

29/12/2024

Well, goodbye 2024, you turned out to be a super busy year after all. We hear so many gloomy stories about the decline of print journalism, but in my niche of gardening and heritage, I’m thankful to have had a steady stream of lovely commissions. I've been a regular freelance contributor to Kew magazine, where I wrote about the importance of traditional meadowland, plus the centuries old story of roses and how they found their place in the English garden. I shared the journey of Kew's evolving winter garden and interviewed the horticulturists who look after the awesome Broad Walk Borders.
I took the train to Kenilworth to research the history of the castle for LandScape, and wrote about a stunning garden on a former hop farm in Worcestershire. LandScape took me down many interesting avenues: I interviewed a heritage apple grower in the Welsh Marches, visited Leicester-based print maker Sarah Kirby and a galanthophile with a sprawling country estate. I talked to some horticultural stars for Garden News, including inspiring plantswomen Claire Austin and Tamsin Westhorpe, and a host of less well known but very talented gardeners for the Garden of the Week slot.
In addition, I celebrated seven years as a monthly columnist for Modern Gardens, where I share tales from my tiny garden. That little space and its transformation has been especially good to me this year, leading to some new contacts and events in 2025.
A break was very welcome, but I'm looking forward to getting back to my next round of commissions, starting with my first interview tomorrow.
Happy New Year and thank you so much if you've checked in on my page in 2024, and given me a like or a comment. It's much appreciated.

03/12/2024

A welcome morning away from my desk, wreath making at Gates Garden Centre on the Leicestershire/Rutland border. It was a PR invite, and I was only too happy to go along and spend a morning surrounded by plants. Lovely selection of natural materials for the wreaths, and top tutorial from Matt. Gates Garden Centre

13/11/2024

A whirlwind 24 hour trip to Holland to visit the HQ of Elho, makers of 100 per cent recycled (and recyclable) plant pots, planters and garden accessories. The production and distribution centres are in Tilburg, and, yes, it was a factory tour, but a fascinating one. The facility is largely powered by renewable energy including solar and an immense wind turbine which stands just outside the vast building. Inside, there are plants crammed everywhere, not just social spaces, but around the hot desk area, in the distribution centre, in the warehouse, the corridors, staircases and in the lecture theatre.
The company's products are made from a variety of materials: coffee waste, marine plastics, and even the plastic ties from French vineyards. The pots are thoughtfully designed, affordable and suitable for every space, including balconies and tiny gardens. I enjoyed seeing the process from the design studio to the machine mould pressing, packing and picking, and also meeting other journalists and influencers from France, Holland and Germany. Big thanks to Beth and Dani at Honest Communications UK for arranging the trip.
Garden Media Guild Page

14/08/2024

https://www.agriframes.co.uk/blogs/view-from-the-garden/interview-with-fiona-cumberpatch

I've been doing some work for Agriframes and they asked for an interview. It was strange to be on the receiving end of the questions!

About Fiona Fiona Cumberpatch is a successful journalist, garden lover and painter of flowers. Her articles have been featured in Kew magazine, Garden News, Modern Gardens and other publications, highlighting her interest in gardening and garden design. Throughout lockdown she embarked on the journe...

22/05/2024

From gospel choirs to gardening drag queens, serious environmental messages to flights of horticultural fancy, RHS Chelsea Flower Show is underway for 2024. Press preview and VIP day on Monday is always buzzing and I've written up my blog report on www.fionacumberpatch.com For more Chelsea content and reels, hop over to my instagram account I've now amassed over 13,900 followers (largely down to a viral reel of my own pocket-sized garden which has had 350,000 plays!).

18/03/2024

Press day at Hever Castle and Gardens Dazzling Daffodils week (Monday 18 to Sunday 24 March) in Kent. We were given a tour by head gardener Neil Miller and daffodil expert and bulb grower Johnny Walkers who provided some fascinating facts about the popular flowers. There are 80,000 daffodils at Hever, producing 250,000 blooms, including some very old varieties. These include a pre-1620 N.telamonius plenus - a double yellow which can be seen in the charming area known as Anne Boleyn’s Orchard. On display too, N.lobularis, whose golden petals inspired Wordsworth to write his famous poem.
Johnny and Neil are hosting two tours a day all week. It’s a wonderful way to learn more about the many different varieties of narcissi, along with growing tips.
Thanks to Vikki Rimmer, Johnny and Neil for a great day.

04/03/2024

This was a fascinating article to write. I visited the Haws watering can factory in Smethwick twice: on the first visit I made my own can, using hand operated machines which have not changed much in 100 years, and the second time around, I watched the process and interviewed the skilled team who produce watering cans in every shape and size. LandScape photographer Richard Faulks was with me to capture the experience.
Now I’m very busy writing about spring and summer gardens again, but this was a great feature to put together in winter. Available now in the April issue of Landscape.

02/01/2024

Happy New Year! On a damp, grey Monday, I'm thinking back over 2023, and the amazing gardeners and the colourful gardens that I have loved writing about for various magazines, including Garden News Garden Answers Kew Gardens and LandScape magazine. My UK travel writing took me to Norfolk, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and beautiful Woodbridge in Suffolk, definitely a personal highlight. On the home front, my own tiny garden in a Lincolnshire market town is the subject of my monthly column in Modern Gardens.
Let's hope that 2024 will be full of more travels, flowers, flower shows, plants - and the incredible people who work with them.