Kim Murray’s perennial tulip collection features alluring peach, orange, and crimson varieties grown partly at Perch Hill and partly in Murray’s own garden. The duo launched the collection, on the latest episode of Sarah Raven’s Grow, Cook, Eat, Arrange podcast, where the pair discussed their mutual love for gardening, the great outdoors, and how these have inspired the design of the Murray’s Cromlix hotel in Scotland.
Aside from being a busy mum of four young children and supporting her husband’s tennis career, she oversees the running of Cromlix hotel with her husband Andy Murray, which has undergone major refurbishments last year. Comlix is a luxury country house hotel & estate owned, set in acres of secluded Stirlingshire countryside near Dunblane.
As a long-time fan, and regular Sarah Raven customer, Murray is a passionate gardener and loves flower arranging. Having grown up in the countryside, she encourages her own family to spend time in the great outdoors. She has lovingly created a beautiful outside space at their Surrey home, dedicating an area to cut flowers and the kitchen garden. For Murray, the Sarah Raven brand is aspirational and inspirational.
“I’m also quite new to gardening, in fact, I’m actually a total amateur, but I’m lucky enough to have a good team around me to help,” explains Murray. “I’m a bit like a magpie, I love to gather beautiful things. So, that’s probably where my connection with gardening started. I’ve always loved cut flowers and my mum is very green-fingered, so she was always growing and cutting as we grew up. But as a young adult, I really started finding enjoyment in arranging flowers. It’s the idea of creating something. I used to paint, many moons ago, and loved art. It’s the same principle really, making something that looks beautiful. It’s visually pleasing and stimulating on a sensory level”, she added.
Introduced to gardening by her grandmother, who according to Murray was a skilled grower of sweet peas. A flower for which she has a real fascination from a young age – and currently her favourite thing to grow. One can expect to see more of Murray on the gardening circuit, as she explained that gardening is not only pivotal to their everyday lives, but their children are also strongly encouraged to appreciate the outdoors.
“I grew up outside, and now as a mum of four, that’s something I’m really passionate about. I want the children to be outside, running around, and having a real appreciation for the environment they are growing up in,” said Murray.
The new tulip collection is available to purchase from the Sarah Raven and Murray plans to fill bedrooms at the hotel Cromlix with the blooms.