Tony Murrell

Tony Murrell's career has never followed a straight line — and that's exactly why his gardens don't either. From professional gardener to chef, from television presenter to radio host, every chapter has fed the one that followed. What ties it all together is a deep love of making things grow, whether that's a garden, a meal, or a conversation.

Tony began his career in professional horticulture in New Zealand before spending seven years in London, designing and maintaining exclusive private gardens. It was hands-in-the-soil work — building the deep plant knowledge, seasonal intuition, and craft that still underpins everything he does today.

While in London he also trained as a chef in French-English cuisine. It sharpened his eye for detail, composition, and the importance of getting the fundamentals right — skills that would prove just as useful back in the garden.

By the early 2000s Tony was on New Zealand television as the garden designer on TVNZ's Mucking In alongside Jim Mora, a role he held across eight seasons. He went on to co-host Kiwi Living, contribute to New Zealand Home and Garden, and became a household name for anyone with a question about their quarter-acre. Alongside television, he hosted Home and Garden with Tony Murrell on Radio Live every Saturday morning for fourteen years, and has been a regular guest on RNZ programmes including Afternoons and The Weekend.

Through all of it, the garden design work never stopped. For more than twenty-five years — under his practice Murrell Gardens — Tony has designed and consulted on private residential gardens from Kaitaia to Invercargill, with projects extending into Australia. His approach is built on strong plant knowledge, genuine client relationships, and an insistence on proper practice and quality execution.