Kim Murray shares the sentimental reason she's a 'magpie' when it comes to gardening

Gardening is not just a necessary job for many people, it's a way to feel a connection and find a little peace in our everyday lives. And it turns out that Kim Murray is no exception to this experience. 

Whether you love seeing the annual garden trends or curating a collection of the best plants every garden should have. Getting outside and surrounding yourself with nature can feel like a spiritual experience especially if you've inherited your green-thumbed spirit from your family before you. 

You may not know it, but Kim is an avid gardener and oversees the gardens at Cromlix, the hotel she owns with husband Andy Murray. She discussed her ties to gardening and why it's so special whilst on a podcast with gardener Sarah Raven. 

Kim Murray's gardening inspiration 

Speaking to Sarah Raven, professional gardener and author on her podcast 'grow, cook, eat, arrange' Kim recalls where her gardening journey first began and why she continues to love it.

"I'm kind of bit like a magpie I kind of gather beautiful things I think that's probably where my connection with gardening started because you know I've always loved cut flowers and my mum you know she's very green-fingered and she was always growing and cutting as we grew up," says Kim. 

It wasn't however until she was a young adult that she truly began enjoying flower arranging. In fact, Kim explains how it was her love for art and painting that led her to find her passion for gardening. 

"It's creating something just making something that is beautiful it's visually pleasing it's kind of yeah stimulating on a sensory level and that was probably what my initial motivation and introduction to gardening," she says. 

Throughout their conversation, Sarah and Kim discuss various alluring plants that liven up the garden. Kim explains the wholesome reason why sweet peas are her favourite. 

"I would say my granny has always grown the most amazing sweet peas and that was something that I had a fascination with from a really young age. They today are still you know my favorite thing to grow," she says. 

Sweet peas are an easy favourite of ours too, they're some of the best fragrant garden plants to help scent your outdoor spaces and they bring amazing colour too. 

Spencer sweet pea seed Waved mixed: £3.99 at RHS 

When looking for where to buy plants online, we couldn't recommend RHS more. This mixed 35-seed pack is perfect for injecting a little colour and charm into your garden. 

Interestingly, Sarah has collaborated with Kim to create a tulip collection that is tied to the artist's hotel Cromlix. The two's friendship began when Sarah discovered Kim has been a fan of her brand for years and regularly shops from the Sarah Raven catalogue. 

Kim's Tulip Collection: from £39.95 at Sarah Raven 

With 35 bulbs you can transform your garden into a blooming paradise come spring next year. This collaboration from Sarah and Kim includes peach, orange and crimson tulip varieties. 

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It would be rude to not ask about Andy's potential gardening input, especially with Wimbledon on. Kim explains that due to the tennis player's crazy travelling schedule he's hardly been able to appreciate the garden but apparently things have changed. 

"I will say we went crazy on the tulips this year for the first time and he doesn't notice much of kind of what's going on in the garden as long as it's all you know looking good and the kids are running around he's happy. But he did stop this year and go 'Oh my goodness the tulips are amazing'," recalls Kim. 

Hilariously Kim was reluctant to share how much money she'd spend on the bulbs, she says, "He just loved them, I think structurally they added so much interest and so much colour. I didn't tell him that I'd spent as much as a designer handbag on the bulbs."

Perhaps instead of getting your lawn Wimbledon ready next year can wait, instead it's time to plant one too many tulip bulbs. 

We simply can't get enough of Sarah Raven and her handy gardening advice. Her mosaic gardening podcast discussion and the wool pest trick she shared recently have our gardens forever grateful for her influence!