Features / Interviews
Bristol Zoo’s vibrant gardens
When you think about Bristol Zoo Gardens, it’s easy to get excited by the gorillas and forget about the gardens.
Once you walk through the entrance and are greeted by a terrace of flowerbeds bursting with colour, you remember all about them.
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“This was my first view and I just loved it as soon as I came in”, says Eddie Mole, head of horticulture at the zoo. He’s been here for twenty years, citing the variety of planting, trees and colour for the reason he’s stayed so long.
Eddie is leading an autumnal guide of the gardens on Thursday October 6th. He’ll take people around the 12 acres, highlighting the autumnal horticultural treats. From the reds and yellows of the Japanese maple trees to the apricot coloured leaves of the Katsura tree, the zoo boasts a warm variety of plants for the season.
Eddie is unashamedly passionate about his job. A tour around his favourite area of the site, the stream garden with bridges made from recycled animal cages, has him bubbling with excitement.
“Being able to achieve something like this is wonderful. How many jobs would you get to come up with these ideas and be so creative?”
This creativity has paid off. Even at the beginning of October, the gardens sing with life.
A herbaceous border is rich with purples, yellows, and greens. It’s bright and perfectly pruned. Opposite, it’s wilder, with palm trees, dead wood and insect homes.
Conservation and education are an important part of the gardens. They run the Community Plant Collection, which encourages diverse groups to grow, maintain and harvest plants. They also take part in Bristol in Bloom, and planted the garden by Clifton Suspension Bridge.
“Biodiversity and community engagement are very important to us”, says Eddie.
Gardening became a part of his life early on. When he lost his father aged 7, he took on looking after the garden. He loved picking which rose bush to plant, and which seeds to sew.
Despite his love of plants, it’s not his sole passion. Eddie used to be a pinball champion, ranking in the top 100 in the world. Since giving that up, he’s picked up the guitar. “I’m the latest of late bloomers as far as music goes”, Eddie laughs. He plays in a band called The Angry Badgers, and has even embarked on a recent solo venture.
To discover more about gardens, or indeed the man behind them, you can find out about the tours here.
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