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Jimi Blake has been gardening since he was a small boy, growing up on the family estate in Blessington, Co Wicklow.
As far back as he can remember, he has had a love for gardening. “Ma always had little garden projects for me that made it fun.”
He would grow plants from cuttings in his tunnel and sell them outside the house and on the main road at weekends; they were always popular with the locals.
As a teenager, he worked in garden centres after school, thus furthering his love of plants. He then went on to train in the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin, Dublin.
After completing his studies, Jimi began his professional gardening career at Airfield House and Garden in Dundrum, Dublin, where he was appointed Head Gardener. There, he took on the restoration of the garden and opened it to the public.
After 12 years at Airfield, Jimi felt he had achieved all he could there. He had a real desire for a garden of his own. So, in 2002, when an opportunity came to acquire 20 acres of the family estate, he jumped at it and established Hunting Brook Gardens.
He had always wanted his own garden, somewhere to grow all that he had collected over the years, and which he could open to the public so that he could share with people his findings, passions and knowledge.
He envisaged a place where he could use the garden as a classroom, as well as a showcase for clients to see what kind of design he could bring to their gardens.
In 2003, he went on an expedition to China with the Botanic Gardens and brought back 450 plants – some of which, for example, Aralia echinocaulis, have become Jimi’s signature plants. Jimi found that the move from the city and city life to a place of tranquility was just what he had been looking for. At Hunting Brook, he has been able to establish a working environment that is challenging and stimulating but also a home that is peaceful and spiritual.
As well as teaching a full programme of courses at Hunting Brook, Jimi travels to give lectures and courses throughout Ireland, the UK and the US.
