10 Things My Studio Bio Won’t Tell You

A sweet snap of Crumpet and Taylor.

Name: Nicholas Staddon, Director of New Plants and Company Spokesperson.

Location: Azusa, CA

Years in the Studio: Well not in the studio, I spend most of my life on the road presenting and looking for new plants in the United States and overseas.

Sections I write for: I am used as a informational resource by numerous Garden Writers and industry folks and as a sounding board so to speak.

1. I’m usually working hard, but when I’m hardly working, you can find me…

With my two Westies, Taylor and Crumpet. Hiking the Costal ranges in Orange County ………….. or the Eastern Side of the High Sierras ,Owens Valley and the White Mountains. Trying to get away to Death Valley over Christmas. Bird watching, used to be a Falconer for the air force and have passion for Birds of Prey. Hands in the dirt gardening, I dream about spending more time in the garden. Should be at the Chelsea Flower Show in 2014 England as well as many of the gardening shows here in the United States. And I have a small boat ………….. But that’s another story.

2. If I had to describe my work in three words, they would be….

Landed feet first.

3. My favorite websites to waste time on are…

Jenny, that’s a hard one. There are so many and all the time new ones on the radar screen. I have to confess no favorite at this point in time.

4. The one thing I wish I could do well, but can’t is…

Painting water colors. In my book the three great talents are ….. Writing …………. Playing a musical instrument ………. and being able to paint. There are many things that cross every social barrier. The above three are the leaders ………….. My dad used to paint and sketch, after he passed, as we were going through his “stuff” found all the wonderful pictures he had drawn, as children we had never seen them. When someone gives you a painting its like they have given you a part of them ………. An emotion on paper. I fell for the softness of water colors years ago and have never had to come up for air.

5. If I ruled the world for a day I would…

Decree that every person leaving collage, university or before jumping off a ledge into a career ……………. spent a minimum of one year traveling the world. And I don’t mean in luxury. Learn the true meaning of smiling waving and shaking hands. Today so many folks lack the “soft skills.” Getting out there on your own and really seeing how folks live all round the world is a big positive wake up call. Even though some of it might not be sugar coated.

6. I couldn’t make it through the day without…

Well I could say my tea in the morning, and the sometimes dark thoughts of my occasional G & T when no one is peeking. But it has to be getting home to Taylor and Crumpet and the evening walk we always take together…….. Rain or shine.

7. The greatest risk I ever took was…

Accepting a job on a boat in the Island of Malta, being taken on a deck hand to sail across the Atlantic with a group of folks I hardly knew. The good news was it all worked out OK ………… PHEW.

Credit: blogs.sacurrent.com

8. I am saving up for…

A hiking and fishing trip to Patagonia. At this point not sure if I will ever get there?

9. What is your theme song for life?

Don’t give up. To a large degree life is what you make it. Keep ploughing on.

10. My favorite movie of all time is…

So many, this is a hard question. I guess the answer has to be … Lawrence of Arabia, Peter O’Toole, Omar Sharif, and Alec Guinness. The of the very greatest all in the same movie ….. WOW. As Peter O’Toole said, sorry, shouted in one of his films …………… “I’m not an actor, I’m a movie star.”  And he was and will always remain so.