How did you get started in horticulture? After an expedition to Borneo for a month with the Journey of a Lifetime Trust. Seeing the fauna there blew my mind.
What advice would you give ?to others starting out in horticulture? Jump in. If you want to try it out as a job there are plenty of work experience opportunities in every area of the industry. If you prefer the academic route there are a range of college courses available to start out with.
What has been your biggest achievement to date? Receiving the Peter Seabrook Bursary from the British Protected Ornamentals Association and David Colegrave Foundation this year, as well as interning at the National Tropical Botanical Gardens in Hawaii over Christmas, which was amazing.
What is your typical day at Nottingham Trent University? A bus ride out of the city into the countryside to my campus helps me wake up. A coffee when there to kick my brain into gear and then, depending on the day, a range of lectures from the more scientific plant biology to industry standards in hort practices and garden design. A walk down to the glasshouses to check on research trials and then into the library to revise and work on assignments.
What is the best part of horticulture for you? The range of possibilities always amazes me. With a horticulture degree the doors open to so many industries and there is always something interesting going on.
And the worst? Deciding which area to go into next. Also people’s perception and the stigma surrounding horticulture.
What does the future hold career-wise? After finishing my BSc I hope to start my own business utilising technology and food production, but the path there might be a winding one because there’s a lot I’d like to do.
