Who We Are

The Professional Gardener’s Trust was set up in 2004 by professional gardeners to encourage the raising of professional standards through further education and practical experience.

Here at the PGT, we believe it is critical to provide funding opportunities for training, both to encourage those entering the profession and to raise the skill levels of existing gardeners to meet the increasingly diverse range of demands made upon them.

The Trust is a charity, number 1101169 and a Company Limited By Guarantee: registered number - 4544242.

Meet the Team

  • Stephen Anderton

    CHAIR

    Stephen Anderton’s career began in professional gardening and historic gardens, working on several major restoration projects for English Heritage and latterly as their National Gardens Manager.

    He has written several books including the biography of Christopher Lloyd and has had a weekly column in the Times for over thirty years. He lectures worldwide.

    His own garden in the Black Mountains draws specialist garden tours.

  • Stephen Crisp

    TRUSTEE

    Stephen is Head of Horticulture for the United States Embassy in London where he has worked since 1987.

    He is a committee member of the London Gardens Network; he champions apprentices and is an RHS Britain in Bloom judge.

    He is also an RHS Show garden judge and a selection panel member and was elected an RHS Associate of Honour for services to horticulture in 2017.

  • Natasha Goodfellow

    TRUSTEE

    Natasha is a garden writer, editor and author of illustrated guides for garden lovers.

    She writes for publications including Gardens Illustrated, House & Garden and Country Life and also curates the Beautiful & Useful craft fairs at the Garden Museum and at Sussex Prairie Gardens.

  • George Hudson

    TRUSTEE

    George is the Green London Curator at the Garden Museum, organising monthly talks about the many niches of gardening, parks and green infrastructure in the city.

    He also writes a weekly column in the Evening Standard targeted at London gardeners.

    Formerly he delivered the level 2 horticulture course at Walworth Garden.

  • Mercy Morris

    TRUSTEE

    Another former Awards Manager, Mercy works for PlantNetwork and holds a National Plant Collection of Chlorophytum comosum CVS.

    A lot her time is taken up trying to stop her cat eating the NPC and taking over Zoom meetings.

    When not doing the above she likes to run, cycle and swim .

  • Kate Nicoll

    TRUSTEE

    Kate Nicoll retrained from working as a BBC Radio Producer to become a gardener back in 2000 via the WRAGS scheme in Oxfordshire. In 2015 she become the National Trust’s Garden Training Specialist, running training courses and gardening apprenticeships nationwide.

    Kate is now working as a freelance Garden Consultant and trainer and has returned to the WFGA as a Regional Manager.

    Kate runs webinars and practical workshops on the horticultural skills needed in the heritage sector for a consortium of gardens and colleges in Norway, Sweden, Germany, UK and Holland.

  • Helen Seal

    TRUSTEE

    Former Awards Manager, Helen works as a self-employed gardener and garden advisor and was Alpine and Woodland Supervisor at the University of Cambridge Botanic Garden for eight years

  • Gemma Sturges

    TRUSTEE

    Gemma Sturges, Kitchen Garden Supervisor at Audley End House and Gardens, has been working at Audley End since 2011.

    Beginning with a placement as an English Heritage trainee she subsequently gained skills, knowledge and experience in heritage gardening and the management of historic kitchen gardens. Since then, Gemma has climbed the ladder to Gardener, Senior Gardener and current position to Kitchen Garden Supervisor. 

  • Bertie Swainston

    TRUSTEE

    Bertie is a former beneficiary of the PGTrust and currently works in the Alpine and Streamside department at RHS Harlow Carr.

    He has worked in horticulture for over a decade in such gardens as Birmingham Botanical Gardens, National Trust's Hidcote Manor, and Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh.

    Before his current role, Bertie previously managed William Shakespeare's historic gardens.

  • Chris Wardle

    TRUSTEE

    Having changed career from the military to horticulture, Chris has worked for 25 years for the National Trust for Scotland in a variety of roles from Asst. Head Gardener, Head Gardener, Garden Advisor and Plant Database Manager. Chris was also seconded to administer the School of Heritage Gardening at Threave.

    Chris trained at Capel Manor College, Enfield and then at Askham Bryan, York.

    Chris has worked at Sutton Place, Guildford and The High Beeches in Sussex.

    Chris’s specialism is in trees, woodland and landscape management.

    He is a Chartered Horticulturalist with the IOH and is a member of the PGG.

  • Thys Terblanche

    TREASURER

    Thys is a Chartered Accountant, originally from South Africa, who has been calling the UK his home since 2011.

    He has held many finance roles at major corporations.

    He enjoys informal gardening and attending to his allotment.

  • Adrian Thorne

    AWARDS MANAGER

    A former beneficiary of the PGT, Adrian is a Horticultural Advisor with the RHS.

    He holds the National Plant Collection of Actaea simplex cvs., Saxifraga fortunei cvs., and Veronica spp. (Parahebe).

  • Claire Dakin

    HON SECRETARY