Mike is an experienced, professional gardener and designer. He also has a successful podcast, ‘Mic the Gardener’ where he chats with well-known gardening celebrities, authors, garden designers and writers amongst others.
Through his instagram account, @mike_thegardener you’ll see regular posts from his garden. You can even catch Mike LIVE most Sundays when he hosts his very popular ‘Sunday Stroll’ which sees him taking us all for a wander around his garden. And there’s always a wealth of topical and helpful gardening advice and information thrown in for good measure.
He also hosts regular LIVE interviews with well-known gardening celebrities, authors, garden designers, writers and many more. Catch up with Mike’s many interviews from his Instagram account @mike_thegardener.
Mike set up his successful gardening business in 2004, having studied horticulture and garden design at Kingston Maurward college in Dorchester, where he gained the prestigious RHS Advanced Certificate in Horticulture.
In the past fifteen years Mike has maintained, designed and planted a wide range of gardens from small urban gardens to large sprawling countryside gardens.
With a life-long passion for gardening, Mike has an impressive knowledge of plants and has created many beautifully planted gardens during his career, including his own prize winning gardens in Bournemouth.
For the past four years Mike has been the most popular vlogger for the successful gardening app, GardenTags. He has produced over forty informative and easy to follow ‘How to’ gardening videos. Subjects covered by Mike include propagation, planting ideas, pest identification and garden design amongst many others.
In recent years Mike has been invited to help with the set up of the popular Gardeners’ World Live exhibition in Birmingham. This fantastic opportunity led Mike to work alongside Alan Titchmarsh, Monty Don, Rachel De-Thame and Carol Klein.
Mike’s introduction to Carol Klein at Gardeners’ World Live paved the way for him to work alongside Carol, for over a year, in her stunning garden at Glebe Cottage in the heart of the North Devon countryside.
In August 2019 Mike’s article ‘Colourful Containers’ was published in the best-selling ‘Garden News’ magazine.
Mike is a probationary member of the Garden Media Guild.
MIKE THE GARDENER 
Dear Mark!
Greetings again!
I discovered you are from perfidious Albion! LOL
I’m a frog lost in the Land of the Rising Sun!
I did all my college years in England before moving to Shizuoka in Japan.
Lookng forward to share views on gardening!
Best rgards,
Robert-Gilles
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Hi there. Thanks for your note. Look forward to having a closer look at your blog.
Mike
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Thanks for following my blog. Yours is wonderful. What nice gardens you have. Where are you located if Easter is Summer?
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Thanks v much. I’m in Poole, south coast of England. Looking forward to having a closer look at your blog – it’s great!
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Dear Mike!
Poole, I don’t believe it!
I spent all my college years in Bournemouth!
I live in Shuizuoka near Mount Fuji which enjoys the mildest climate after Okinawa. Spring comes very early and summer is almost tropical. We do have a long fall and a short winter. Growing vegetables is possible all year as winter vegetables are ok to grow. Actually Shizuoka is famous for the greatest variety of land and sea products in Japan.
I’m looking after a roof garden clients asked me to transform from the original trees and flowers-only garden to include organic vegetables. Whereas I’m at ease with vegetables and fruit I still have a lot to learn about flowers!
Best regagrds,
Robert-Gilles
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Hello,
Well! Why on earth did you move from the south coast to the beautiful place you find yourself in now?!
It sounds idyllic.
Unlike you, I’m better with my flowers and no so good on the fruit and veg front.
Look forward to seeing updates via your blog.
Mike
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Good morning (in Japan!)!
Simple enough: in 1976 just before graduating I was asked by a Japanese friend to come and teach languages in Shizuoka where I also practiced judo. And I never thought of leaving since then although I travel a lot!
Best regards,
Robert-Gilles
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Hi! Thank you for stopping by my blog, and for the “like” on my recent post. I am glad you enjoyed it, and I appreciate your visit to my site.
Your blog is beautiful and full of wonderful information. I don’t know much about gardening, so it was fun to read posts and learn some new things. Your photos are amazing!
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Well thanks very much. Look forward to your updates.
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Thanks for dropping by. I’m looking forward to exploring yours.
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Thanks for the Follow and very pleased that I can get my “English garden fix” via your great blog! (I’m in New Zealand !) Hope you’ll be blogging about the Hampton Court Flower Show!
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Happy to provide a small slice of England! And yes, will be plenty of Hampton Ct!
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No problem Brigid. Great blog!!
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Hi!
Caught one of your videos on YouTube! Looking for some advice on an acer plant I have if you would be able to help?
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Yes no problem. How can I help?
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Looking to understand if any pruning is needed. It’s been in a pot for a few years and grown really well but this year there are bits missing / large gaps . I’m not sure how to identify what’s dead / dying vs what to leave.
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Are you able to send a picture? I’ll be able to help then having seen the tree. Thanks.
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Yes of course! Do you have an email address etc..
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Yes it’s michael_palmer@me.com.
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Good morning Mike, I left a message on your IG direct messages, but I realized that you may not see that. I have a rose related question. My Evelyn by David Austin looks very healthy to the naked eye. But the also very healthy looking flower buds are not developing. That is, they are opening, but the petals are not developing. They just look stunted and sort of forced open with all the potential petals still tightly packed. I thought maybe thrips which I had never seen on my roses before, but do you have any ideas? Please help if you can.
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Thanks for contacting me Dawn. Hope you find the information helpful. Thanks for visiting my blog. Mike
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I’m sorry you’re going to have to explain FTP to me??
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