I’ve been a professional horticulturist for over 25 years now, with 15 years spent working in specialist nurseries and the remainder spent as a freelance gardener.
For some people gardening is a job, for others it’s a vocation. I’m firmly in the latter camp; I live and breathe what I do.
I’m respected among my peers, not only for my free-thinking approach to horticulture but also for my willingness to share that information with others.
In addition to my gardening and writing work, I’m involved with various other horticultural activities:
I’m a committee member for the Cornwall Professional Gardeners’ Group, offering learning and networking opportunities for anyone involved in professional horticulture across Cornwall and West Devon.
I’m also a branch committee member with the RHS Rhododendron, Camellia and Magnolia Group, which focuses on these tree genera and other woody plants; we also host two popular and prestigious shows at RHS Rosemoor.
I’m involved in the trialling of plants for the Award of Garden Merit, awarded by the Royal Horticultural Society to plants deemed by expert panels to be of excellent standard for British gardens. My current panels are assessing baptisias (RHS Wisley) and Podophyllum (RHS Rosemoor), and I was a member of the panel for Persicaria (now Bistorta, Persicaria and Koenigia) at RHS Wisley.
I’m a member of the International Dendrology Society, the Tree Register of Britain and Ireland, and the Alpine Garden Society.
Fundamentally gardening comes down to keeping plants alive. How we do that, from basic principles to tailoring maintenance and care to a specific garden, can be infinitely interesting.
Some might regard me as an unconventional gardener, but what’s important is delivering gardens that are not only environmentally sustainable but also financially sustainable too.
Please contact me to discuss your needs or arrange an initial visit.