Wiley, Keith

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Wiley, Keith

PERSONAL:

Education: Earned degree from London University (with honors).

CAREER:

Horticulturist and garden designer. Formerly head gardener for The Garden House at Buckland Monachorum in Devon, England.

WRITINGS:

On the Wild Side: Experiments in the New Naturalism, Timber Press (Portland, OR), 2004.

Shade: Planting Solutions for Shady Gardens, Timber Press (Portland, OR), 2006.

Contributor to periodicals, including Gardens Illustrated and the Garden.

SIDELIGHTS:

Keith Wiley is a British-born garden designer and horticulturalist. He formally received his training in horticulture at London University. However, he started obtaining his practical training skills as a child. As he explained in an interview on the Timber Press Web site, his father let him and his siblings "design and build walls and even whole pond systems, so it's hardly surprising I became completely hooked on gardening. I loved the way you could indulge your imagination and turn those thoughts into something tangible but still alive. I knew even in my teenage years I would rather do something I really liked as my job rather than be steered by my schooling into the accepted professions that may pay well but run the risk of becoming just a job."

Wiley's first book, On the Wild Side: Experiments in the New Naturalism, explores the natural side of gardening, drawing on examples from around the world. Instructions are given on how to properly manage the soil, create drainage systems, and supervise wild plants' self-seeding. Other tips and suggestions complete the book to guide the average gardener in constructing and maintaining a naturalistic garden. A reviewer on the Garden Aesthetics Web site stated that Wiley "presents a very personal look at natural landscapes around the world, and gives us inspiration for translating them into our own ‘wild’ places." The same reviewer noted that they "came away from this book with a renewed interest in exploring natural systems." A contributor to Publishers Weekly wrote that Wiley's "experience is reflected in ample practical advice," but did not find that experience limiting, adding that "he also offers many imaginative ideas."