Head of Horticulture at the Horniman Museum, Errol Reuben Fernandes lives and works in London. We caught up with him about connecting to the natural world in the city and the best clothes for gardening.

__Tell us who you are and what you do?__

My name is Errol Reuben Fernandes and I am a Head Gardener with a background in Fine Art and Psychotherapy. I live and work in London. I am particularly passionate about ecological and sustainable horticulture and our role as a keystone species.

__What is your relationship to the British countryside?__

I grew up in the suburbs of London. I can't say it ever felt like the countryside but I had access to vast brownfield sites near our family home. I discovered a place I call the wasteland while exploring along the canal towpaths and it quickly became my playground; somewhere to build dens, muck about with Dirt Bikes and smoke with my friends. This place was green, I was surrounded by nature but it was gritty and felt a little dangerous too. It was a far cry from the rolling hills of Devon and Wales that we would visit for holidays but it was far more exciting to me. The area used to be a Victorian dump, the ground was littered with broken porcelain and poison bottles. Crushed Oyster shell and pottery created a very free draining soil and as a result many unusual and exotic species of plants could be found growing here like the highly toxic Datura stramonium and the Mexican cup-and-saucer vine. I still visit to this day and it is a source of constant inspiration.

__How can people connect with the natural world?__

Find a way to access the natural world that is on your doorstep. Sometimes our perception of what the natural world should be prevents us from engaging with the nature that is all around us. There is a wealth of nature that can be found in and around our cities if we just take the time to look.

__In what ways does clothing help you do your job?__

The right clothing is absolutely essential in enabling me to work outside. Durability, freedom to move and comfort are what I always look for. Form must follow function but it must look great too.