My Great West Way - Graham Dillamore

Having looked after royal gardens for over 40 years, Graham Dillamore, deputy head of gardens and estates at Historic Royal Palaces, is now responsible for some of the most magnificent palace gardens in the country.

Please start by telling us about your journey in becoming head gardener of the worldfamous gardens at Hampton Court Palace?

I knew I had to be outdoors no matter what. Gardening seemed to be something I was good at and I was happy, relaxed and always comfortable to be in a Garden. People talk about Gardens having profound effects on people and its true. So, when I was 16 years old and at the very earliest opportunity, I began looking for a job in gardening where I could also gain some training. I got rejected a few times but I kept going and eventually began working as an apprentice in London’s Royal Parks. Later on in 1985, I became head gardener at Kensington Palace before going to work for The Royal Household, where I took on the responsibility of tending to the then-Prince Charles and Diana, Princess of Wales’ private garden. Around 5 years later I made the exciting move to Hampton Court Palace as the ‘Foreman’ now there’s a word you don’t hear anymore! My job title changed a few times and I was given different roles from time to time but I stayed at Hampton Court and now here I am, still gardening.

What does your role involve, and what is a typical day like for you?

My role involves coordinating and overseeing everything that goes on in the gardens not only on a day-to-day basis, but also week-to-week, month-to-month, and year-to-year. I work closely with a few team leaders and we usually get to together to talk about what we need to do that week, what is coming up next and how we can make things better for our visitors. I sometimes take the dogs with me - we might chase off a few geese before our visitors arrive and it’s time for a cup of tea. We like a lot of cake with our tea at Hampton Court and that suits me fine. Its then on to the keyboard and like any other manager in any other business I have emails, meetings, invoices and planning to work on.

Do you work with a wider team and what achievements are you most proud of?

I head up the Gardens team and our responsibility is to take care of the formal gardens around the Palace here at Hampton Court and at Kensington. We try to create a memorable visitor experience and present the Gardens to the highest possible standard. I also provide advice and professional guidance to other lead managers within the organisation on conservation projects, commercial activity and strategic development.

Hampton Court

IMAGE © HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES

There are a number of achievements that I look back on proudly with my team. Recreating King William III’s Privy Garden, a magnificent private garden for the Stuart monarch, to look exactly as it was in 1702 was something very special, and a real highlight of my career. The transformation of this formal garden took place in 1995, and is still recognised as a major milestone with regard to the history and care of the gardens. It has also been especially rewarding to see the gardens at Kensington Palace transform over the past fifteen years, as they have opened up and become more accessible.

I understand you recently oversaw the transformation of The Sunken Garden at London’s Kensington Palace, which Diana, Princess of Wales was particularly fond of?

To mark the 20th anniversary of the death of Diana, Princess of Wales, in 2017 we transformed the White Garden in her memory – a real highlight for me. We then went on to develop the garden further in 2021 to create a relaxing setting for the statue of the late Princess. To be a part of that, and to be there at the moment when the statue was unveiled – gosh, that was very special.

What do you find most inspiring day-to-day?

I really like gardens with history and heritage. Working in a garden that has been there for hundreds of years and following in the footsteps of other gardeners has always been very appealing to me. I’ve never been the kind of gardener who wants to change everything, instead I’ve always been interested in conservation and preserving what we already have, as well as going back in time to understand what went on before.

Can you recommend any hidden jewels for visitors to the gardens to ensure they don't miss?

Yes, the Great Vine! It is a staggering 255 years old and the largest in the world. In the summer, its grapes are sold in the palace giftshop, giving visitors the rare opportunity to try its historic fruit, which was once a favourite of Queen Victoria, no less. The grapes are a very old variety called Black Hamburg, they are a really tasty dessert grape. Just imagine eating fruit from a plant that was planted in 1768. And what a taste!

What are you most looking forward to for the summer ahead?

Yes, this springs Tulip Festival. Towards the end of 17th century, William III and Mary II began importing tulip bulbs from the Netherlands, and by the time Queen Victoria opened the gardens to the public in the 1820s, people would come from miles around to see the palace’s splendid tulip displays. It became a real destination for a day out, and we want to celebrate that again. Last winter, the gardening team worked tirelessly to plant a whopping 110,000 tulip bulbs throughout the gardens, including some rare and historic varieties, and in April this year Hampton Court Palace is hosting a truly glorious tulip festival. We’ve planted the bulbs in flowerbeds all around the gardens, and each area has a different theme and story as to why we’ve chosen that bulb and that colour scheme. We’ve got traditional mass planting and I am also bringing more tulips into the courtyards as well, much to the housekeeper’s disdain. I’ve been planting bulbs in all sorts of things – wheelbarrows, pots, troughs. We want to offer visitors something a bit different. For example, as part of the event we will be giving the palace’s famous 14ft wine fountain a fabulous floral makeover. We’re going to cover it in tulips, and we’ve gone for deep red wine colours – maroons and burgundies, even jet black. We’ve also got a tulip variety called Merlot, and a few rosé colours too.

The Great Fountain Garden at Hampton Court Palace

IMAGE © HISTORIC ROYAL PALACES

Are you a city, town or country person?

I think I’m a mixture of all three. I find it humorous that I had to move away from leafy Hampshire and travel to central London for my career as a gardener, but the fact remains that some of the best gardens are in the middle of cities.

What do you think makes the Great West Way special?

The countryside, landscapes and of course the gardens make the Great West Way special. The further west you travel the better they get! For me, Stourhead is a particular favourite, although Longleat is also very special – prior to its current layout it was a formal Baroque Garden like Hampton Court Palace. It is fascinating to see how the gardens have changed if you find an old print. I’d recommend investigating which private gardens on the Great West Way are open for free as part of the National Garden Scheme each year.

Please describe your perfect adventure on the Great West Way?

I think I have an in-built compass in my head that has been passed down by my father. He used to say “West is always best!” as we prepared for our camping holidays, and I’ll always remember camping with Dad during a thunderstorm at a little place near Marlborough.