PlantNetwork Interviews

A select few join the Professional Gardeners’ Guild Traineeship every year and if you are lucky to be one of the select, there is much to be gained from your placements. Who wouldn't want to live next door to a grand country house with access to the surrounding garden? During the three past years, Frances Porter has worked at three entirely different gardens. We speak to her just as she completes her traineeship and about to embark on a professional horticultural career.

 

We are exploring different ways to work in horticulture. Get to know the people behind the gardens in this series from PlantNetwork – An interview with.... Visit plantnetwork.org to learn more. This episode is hosted by Rebecca Slack, PlantNetwork Coordinator.

How did a fully booked course get Sam Hickmott into his horticultural career? Sam is a young head gardener looking after the Grade 1 listed landscape garden in a World Heritage Site, Prior Park. We hear how Sam got into horticulture and his thoughts on why more young people don't pursue a career in horticulture. Making it to the regional finals himself, making new contacts and armed with new facts, he also encourages anyone under 30 to participate in the annual Young Horticulturist of the Year (YHOY) competition.

 

We are exploring different ways to work in horticulture. Get to know the people behind the gardens in this series from PlantNetwork – An interview with.... Visit plantnetwork.org to learn more. This episode is hosted by Piers Horry, National Trust Garden and Outdoor Manager.

What is it like to work as the Curator of Botany and Horticulture in a zoo, where the majority of visitors are coming to see the animals? Phil Esseen of Chester Zoo tells us about a set of unique, but fascinating challenges and we hear about important collaborative conservation work both in-situ and ex-situ in places like Madagascar, Rodrigues and Chile to name but a few. 

 

We are exploring different ways to work in horticulture. Get to know the people behind the gardens in this series from PlantNetwork – An interview with.... Visit plantnetwork.org to learn more.

How often have you heard that you need to specialise, become more focused? Philip Turvil,  the Eco Business Director at the Field Studies Council, is living proof that this old saying can be taken with a pinch of salt. With a dash of networking and curiosity, he has been able to find a career that merges his passion for horticulture, environmental communication and management.

 

We are exploring different ways to work in horticulture. Get to know the people behind the gardens in this series from PlantNetwork – An interview with.... Visit plantnetwork.org to learn more. This episode is hosted by Rebecca Slack, PlantNetwork Coordinator.

In her job as a Senior Community Outreach Advisor at the RHS, Lettie Irving found a position she didn’t know existed. Hear how it allows her to combine working with people and plants, using Zoom to engage with communities, and the importance of photography in the garden.

 

We are exploring different ways to work in horticulture. Get to know the people behind the gardens in this series from PlantNetwork – An interview with.... Visit plantnetwork.org to learn more.

Kate is a horticulturist with a very international perspective. We find out more about Kate's varied role and how it all started in a bonsai shop!

We talk to new PlantNetwork Trustee and National Trust Garden and Outdoor Manager, Piers Horry, about his role, his career in horticulture and trees.

Our March webinar focused on biostimulants - if you registered to attend or you are a PlantNetwork member, you can catch-up with the webinar at: https://plantnetwork.org/meetings/webinar/biostimulants-and-plant-health/

This podcast episode carries on the discussion from the webinar and we learn more about the potential of biostimulants for improving plant health and resilience to pests and diseases with Julian Ives from Dragonfli and Neil Procter from Koppert Biological Systems.

This year is the International Year of Fruit and Vegetables so we talk to someone who is passionate abut growing vegetables. So much so that when Matt isn't caring for Global Growth Vegetable Garden at RHS Garden Hyde Hall, he is looking after multiple allotments...

With growing recognition of the health and well-being benefits of gardening, PlantNetwork speaks with horticultural therapist, Imogen Jackson, about her role at Horatio's Garden. Imogen introduces us to her Horatio's Garden and the work she does with patients with spinal cord injuries, as well as how she became a horticultural therapist (and head gardener!)