Care, Not Capital - Modern Gardener Training at Hilldrop (Essex, UK)
The masterful combination of John Little and Fiona Crummay (amazing cook!) within a garden that envelopes and nurtures, at Hilldrop. All generously shared with people to create habitat, care and learning through experimentation and collaboration.
A place of great joy!
Care, Not Capital is an initiative that trains ‘modern gardeners’, adding to their experiences and holistic approach to gardening. Stemming from John’s experience with Social Housing landscape management, their summary says it best: “We believe in care, not capital.
That's to say we believe that rather than pouring all the money into new and shiny projects and infrastructure, that money could be invested in people.
If we have more trained gardeners to look after new and existing spaces, we can have more biodiversity, more vegetation, more food, and more climate-adapted green public space.
By providing training in almost everything but horticulture, we’re equipping the 'modern gardener' to create sustainable green spaces for a changing world.”
A 'dry-stone wall' made entirely from construction waste - beauty from detritus!
Decorative insect hotel holes in a standing dead tree.
View up to the main house from below in the garden.
"Happy Days" a John Little finishing line that celebrates collaboration.
I'm not generally a fan of gabions, but I'll take these any day - cylindrical planter shells filled with construction rubble and filled with plantings.
View from main house over towards Fiona's productive garden.
Standing and laying dead wood for habitat.
Standing dead and the 'tortured willow' - allowed to live, but not to thrive in itself, instead it is punctured, drilled and trimmed to more quickly age and accommodate habitat opportunities.
Gravel pathways below the main house.
Water pond at the top of the property, which is more secluded and enclosed for habitat and quiet respite.
Pots and plants galore at Hilldrop.
The lower pond, where fauna have finally been convinced to nest within a discarded shopping trolley submerged in the water.
Green roof shelters, which John and his partners continue to produce.
![Lots of teasels at Hilldrop (Dipsacus fullonum) - they are quite stunning visually, brought into Australia as a textile comb among other things. [Unfortunatly, here they have been a weed here for more than a century now.]](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67a6998b9ccd912c896b2a13/27673327-4162-4feb-99db-3ddfeb77eb9b/IMG_3566.JPG)
Lots of teasels at Hilldrop (Dipsacus fullonum) - they are quite stunning visually, brought into Australia as a textile comb among other things. [Unfortunatly, here they have been a weed here for more than a century now.]
View out from the porch of the main house - over to the Thames and surrounding landscapes. (Ommmm)
Results of one of the many workshops undertaken by the 2026 Modern Gardener cohort, under the guidance of Malcolm Seal (Weaving Master).
Fiona's raised veggie and herb beds.
Always more insect habitat on offer.
Experimentations of materials (e.g. metal ground grates), fencing alternatives, gabions filled with timber and standing dead wood - all create niches and opportunities for different types of insects and other wildlife.
Outdoor classroom and lunch spot at Hilldrop.
View up to the main house from near the lower pond, passing through a standing dead threshold.
Compacted cob column (another experimentation) near the deck of the main house.