george hassall
May we present Green-Fingered George!
He was awarded the honor of being Britain’s first ever Young Ambassador of the Royal Horticultural Society in 2015, having first won the Young School Gardener of the Year title the previous year, at the age of eight! His current projects include birdwatching, photography, campaigning for school gardens, filming a segment for BBC’s beloved Blue Peter and discussing environmental issues with Chris Packham. In addition, he is busy working on his own garden during the present lockdown. You can follow his progress on @greenfingeredgeorge for inspiration! In spite of his many accolades, George modestly describes himself as a “gardening geek” and a “nature nerd”. We are delighted that he took the time from a very busy schedule to participate in our Phonetic Planet interview!
Where in the world did you grow up, George?
I live on the edge of The Pennines, just outside Manchester, with Yorkshire behind me and The Peak District on my doorstep. Am spoiled for choice!
What are some of your favorite memories from childhood?
Some of my favourite memories from childhood are visiting the Dyfi Osprey Project, on our way to West Wales we’ve been going at Easter for the past 10 years. I’ve seen the place develop, with the introduction of the 360 observatory centre and the success with the breeding programme; it’s just a really special place.
On my doorstep is RSPB Dovestones. Mum picks me up from school with our dog and we pop over there at least once a week for a walk, there’s resident peregrines, a huge population of garden birds and the views are stunning.
Camping in The Peak District is high up on my list. We have had a campervan since I was born, so weekend trips are always special. I’ve spent a lot of time feeding the trout & looking for water voles in the rivers & splashing about in the chalk streams.
A fond garden memory is starting peas off in toilet roll holders; this is the way we’ve always done them. Once the pea shoots appear, you transplant them straight in the ground. I love picking & eating fresh peas. There’s nothing better!
Do you remember one special place with particular fondness?
The most special place in all the world would be, Chatsworth House Gardens and there’s no better time to enjoy it, than in autumn. We always have a full day there in September/October; we arrive early, when the air is beautiful and crisp. We walk round the whole gardens, admiring the plants, the sculptures and my favourite trees, the acers; the colours are just spectacular.
We’re only half-way round by lunch, which we usually eat near the maze, before walking through the rockery and on towards the weeping willow. Last on the list is the ‘piece de la resistance’, the kitchen garden, whatever the season there’s something growing and the bees & butterflies certainly know where it’s at!
I was lucky to have a dream day working there when I was 10 and my last job was to turn the Emperor’s Water Fountain off, not many people can say they’ve done that! The gardening team gave me a T Shirt (see the title photo) – it was so big, I was 14 by the time it fit !
How has nature inspired you to live the life you are currently living?
In the garden we grow a lot of our own fruit and veg, which is great to reduce your carbon footprint. After that, the rest of the garden is dedicated to wildlife and we try to create as many habitats as possible to attract a diverse range of species.Nature has made me view the world with different eyes. Take the sparrows in my garden, we’ve got quite a big population; I don’t see them as a feathery mass, but as individuals, within a family group. They talk, argue, squabble and fight, they fascinate me.
I have a huge passion for protecting the planet and am part of the youth strike for climate movement, mainly because I want to live a better life when I’m older, I don’t want to live in a polluted world. I want to give the world something back; wildlife and nature has given me a lot of pleasure and happiness. It would be wrong to not help it in its hour of need.
George, can you recommend a special book, or books, from your childhood?
Favorite fiction will always be the Harry Potter series. They are my special go-to books. I’ve read them many times over and never get bored. I always discover something new and well, there’s herbology in it after all ! Whilst I read them at night, before going to bed, I’ve got great memories of reading in the campervan, outside by an open fire or up in my treehouse.
I’ve got hundreds of gardening, bird and wildlife books, but my go to book is the RSPB Complete Bird Book of Britain & Europe; I’m always consulting it. I research the difference between male & female bird species, what juveniles look like, the different ways you can ID a bird, through its beak, feet or a little spot on the back of its neck. A friend gave it to me, it was her Dad’s, I’m sure he’d be happy that it went to someone who loved it as much as he did!
Thank you, George, for giving your time so generously! We’re sure that you will inspire many others to get outdoors and see the magnificent potential that awaits in their own backyard.
You can learn more about George at the following links:
Blog: greenfingeredgeorge.com
Facebook: greenfingeredgeorge
Twitter: @GreenFGeorge
Instagram: @greenfingeredgeorge