RHS Level 2: Principles of Plant Growth and Development

"My career in horticulture started at the Eden Project, where I completed a 1 year apprenticeship with the living landscapes team. I then returned to Eden after my foundation degree to be part of the outdoor garden team.

I have been developing my horticultural knowledge here at Eden for the last 10 years.

I’m really passionate about sustainable gardening, pollinator friendly gardens and getting young people into horticulture."

"I was a career changer 20 years ago when I joined Eden and my passion for plants became my vocation. The diversity of temperate plants in the Outdoor Garden means there is always something interesting to work with and at Eden there are often unexpected opportunities and experiences.

My main areas of interest are hardy, temperate perennials, bulbs and woodland plants."

“I worked in IT and Project Management for over 20 years and was lucky to spend much of that time in Africa and the Caribbean, where the experience of seeing flora and fauna in their wild habitats was amazing. Thinking I’d retired, I followed my love of nature and my garden and started volunteering at Eden, which then led to me working part-time first in the Mediterranean Biome and now in the Rainforest Biome.  I admit to being a fair-weather gardener!

Over my 10+ years at Eden my knowledge has developed through study and hands-on experience, boosted by work experience including in the south-west cape of South Africa and at Tresco Abbey Garden.  I find the science so fascinating and fundamental to understanding propagation and plant care. 

I also love the artistic aspects of horticulture and particularly enjoyed designing and installing an informal path, beds and planting, featuring lowland fynbos plants and succulents in the Mediterranean Biome South Africa wild area.” 

"I have worked as a horticulturist at the Eden Project for 18 years. I started in the Mediterranean Biome as I specialise in that range of plants. My interest in this range developed after doing a scholarship at Tresco Abbey Gardens, on the Isles of Scilly, where many Mediterranean climate plants flourish in their mild climate. I moved to the outdoor gardens to further my knowledge of temperate plants and really enjoy the range of different plants in the garden.

I enjoy being able to work with plants from all over the world, displayed in a mixture of cultivated and wild landscapes. I am especially passionate about South African plants and have a developed a new exhibit called the South African Veld where we are showcasing the beauty and diversity of the South African flora whilst also high lightening it’s fragility and need to protect its biodiversity.

My enthusiasm for growing crops has really grown since taking on our Global Gardens allotments, I am particularly interested in how the food we grow will change with climate change."

A full set of FAQs are available through the RHS website.