It’s no secret that we’re big fans of Shirlie Kemp’s pastel-hued cottage garden, and the former singer has revealed there’s a good reason for these soft-toned blooms – she doesn’t like red plants.
Martin and Shirlie Kemp’s pastel garden, which they frequently showcase on their home’s Instagram @maisonnumber9, is one of my favourite celebrity gardens, which is why I couldn’t wait to ask her all about it in a recent interview.
Discussing everything from her greenhouse to her hydrangeas, Shirlie spoke of her love of pastels and lost love (or rather dislike) of red plants. So much so that the colour of their garden plants is the main source of contention in the Kemp household…
If you’re ever stuck for garden inspo, the Kemp’s garden is a great place to start hunting for inspiration. It’s one of the prettiest cottage-style gardens I’ve ever seen, and Shirlie’s commitment to creating an array of pastel blooms is wonderful.
‘Martin and I don’t quite agree on colours,’ she told me. ‘I like block pastels, either all white or all pink. I don’t like mixing. I don’t like red plants. I hate red. But I don’t mind red velvet roses at Valentine’s’
‘He [Martin] loves gardening just as much as I do, and he will go to the garden centre, and I’ll come back, and he’s bought a load of plants and planted them. And I’m just like: ‘I didn’t want that there!’
‘Our main kind of disputes and arguments are about colour. He says you can’t have everything white, you’ve got to have colour,’ she says.
‘With Martin, I know I have to mix the colours a bit more, so that gets a bit difficult.’
And Shirlie’s reasoning for not liking red plants? It’s nothing against the colour itself, just that the shade is too warm for spring and summer when her garden is blooming.
‘I like pastels,’ Shirlie says. ‘Red is such a warm colour, that is why it works at Christmas, and it works during winter. But when you’ve got a summer garden, and you’ve got a red plant, it sticks out like a sore thumb.’
But despite the slight bickering about the colours of their flowers, Shirlie says the shared love of gardening between herself and Martin really brings them together as a couple.
‘Martin used to go up to the florist – and I used to think it was so extravagant – and he would come with these long flower boxes, and he would do a big display in a vase. I used to think: ‘Oh, I really love him for that’,’ Shirlie tells me, describing the couple’s first home in London.
‘I loved the fact that he wanted that in our home. That’s when I knew we’re on the same vibe. We were definitely okay to live together. That’s when I knew we were compatible.’
Now, you’ll find the pair on shared trips to the garden centre to pick up new blooms and veggies for the garden.
‘We’ve got such a shared passion,’ she said. ‘But it can be sometimes competitive. If I say to Martin I’m going up to the garden centre, he’ll say: ‘Wait, I’m coming!’ He has such a fear of not being able to go to the garden centre, so I can never sneak off. I always have to let him know officially that I’m going to the garden centre.’
Pastel blooms we’re loving right now
If you are in agreement with Shirlie about filling your garden with stunning pastel blooms, here are a few flowers we love.
Shirlie’s love for her garden and husband is clearly reflected in the beautiful blooms that she produces in her garden. And when pastel tones look this good, it’s easy to see why you favour these over bold, bright hues.
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