Horticulturist Flo Headlam's First Home Had 'a Garden That Needed Rescuing'

Flo Hadlam bought his first house in 1991 (Photo: Jenny Smith)

When Flo Headlam , gardener, garden designer, and manager of Save the Garden, bought his first home in the early 1990s, he had a large garden in a deplorable state that was crying out for rescue.

The only problem was that she wasn't really into gardening at the time, so Flo only planted a few bulbs.

He says the garden has its uses, especially for parties in the summer.

When did you buy your first home and where was it located?

The year is 1991, in South East London.

Where or how did you find it? I guess property hunting was a little different back then...

In those days it was a matter of looking in the real estate window, driving around the area to see if it had a license plate, and then calling a realtor.

Where do you want to go?

Flo is now a gardener and host of Saving the Garden (photo: Jenny Smith).

It was a one bedroom apartment on the top floor of a four story Victorian house. It was very charming, nice solid staircase leading up to the front door, wide hallway and steps and lots of windows. The apartment itself is charming with a ground floor bathroom, roof over the three main rooms. It's very convenient.

Is the result as good as it looks the first time you see it?

It is a beautiful place to live and I have many fond memories. Great for entertaining, the food kitchen is very generous. The views are also amazing - the living room overlooking the garden and the elevation from the top floor seems simply magical.

Tell me about a garden that needs saving.

There is a large garden, about 150 meters long. He really needed savings, but he was not a gardener then. I planted some tubers, but not many. Since we lived on the top floor, the garden was rarely used, only in summer for parties. Most of the time, the garden is just emerging.

Once we got the hang of it, we realized how special the job is. However, we didn't stop and call a professional, we recovered.

The last appearance resembles the surface of the Moon. Thankfully the shelves were up and all the debris covered most of them. We painted the kitchen a bright yellow, the living room a dark green, the bathroom a black and white tile and the walls a mauve. Fortunately, the corridors remained white.

What did you learn from buying a house and how did it change your life?

I learned a lot about responsibility and the value of things. We used to hunt, but now every improvement is on our shoulders. And, ultimately, you need to develop the habit of budgeting. Also, it's great to be in a place where we can put our own personality. I think this is one of the biggest advantages of owning your own home.

What's your best advice for new buyers?

Now there is so much information that by the time you go somewhere, you already have enough knowledge about it. Get to know the area, including green space, transportation, and utilities. Visit at different times of the day to see the character and rhythm of the area.