Trentham Gardens and Adventure Play - Meet the Gardeners

Trentham is lucky to be able to draw on some of the most talented gardeners and designers working today.

With initial designs from award-winning designer Tom Stuart-Smith and Dutchman Piet Oudolf, there are many more helping hands to ensure that Trentham’s beautiful Gardens are looking their very best. 

Piet Oudolf - Designer

This generation’s leading exponent of naturalistic planting, Piet is widely considered to be Europe’s leading plantsman. From his nursery in Holland, he breeds extraordinary plants that captivate the gardening world. His worldwide work includes New York’s 9/11 Garden of Remembrance. At Trentham he has designed our new “Rivers of Grass” and “Floral Labyrinth”; the new gateway to the Garden.

Piet also designed the long borders which flank either side of Tom Stuart-Smith’s planting in the Italian Garden.

“Although inspired by Capability Brown, my planting plans are influenced by early Cubist paintings and the English artist Ben Nicolson."

Tom Stuart-Smith - Designer

Tom’s amazing designs have won him 7 gold medals at the Chelsea Flower Show, including a Trentham joint garden with Laurent Perrier in 2005, and most recently with this year’s overall best in show. Tom has been working with Trentham for 9 years – his imaginative planting scheme for the Lower Flower Garden with in excess of 100,000 choice perennials and bulbs.

“Trentham will retain the scale and magnificence it had in the 19th Century, but to it we’ll add diversity and the human element.”

 

 

Michael Walker – Garden Manager

Formerly Gardens Manager at Waddesdon Manor, Michael has a reputation for regenerating world-class gardens. But Trentham is the most challenging programme to date after 20 years of working for the National Trust. Here at Trentham, the accent will be on moving forward and taking risks, rather than simply recreating a piece of history.

“Whilst respecting the past, this is contemporary work – every time you visit, you’ll discover new ideas.”

Below, Michael tells his story of the born again Trentham in this monthly series of articles, by describing how today’s designers and gardeners have developed the site whilst paying homage to its glorious history.”

June 2008                July 2008               August 2008

 

Marcus Chilton-Jones – Assistant Garden Manager

Before joining the team at Trentham Marcus had an illustrious career with The National Trust. He trained at Nymans Gardens, restored the rose gardens and orchards at Morden Hall Park, eventually becoming Head Gardener at The Vyne (Hampshire). After this he moved to the BBC as Head Gardener, working behind the scenes at Berryfields on the flagship programme 'Gardener's World'. 

He now acts as Assistant Gardens Manager focusing his attention on the smooth day to day running of the gardens amongst his wider duties.

“Quite simply I can't wait to get out of bed each morning to face the real challenges of middle management at this unique, diverse and flourishing garden”.

 

Paul Legeckis – Garden Supervisor, Western Pleasure Garden

Paul’s degree in design is definitely put to good use at Trentham, with projects like the ‘Hide & Speak Maze’ and ‘Woodland Stream’ under his belt.  If his face looks familiar it may be due to his regular appearance on televisions’ ‘Garden Invaders’ before joining the Trentham team.  Paul is now a Supervisor responsible for the west side of the garden and is always ready for his next big challenge.

 

 

 

 

Emma Fox – Garden Supervisor, Italian Gardens

Originally training in media with a degree in Theatre, Film and Television, Emma left university to pursue her true vocation in horticulture.  Spending a little time working for the National Trust at Hardwick Hall she came to Trentham as a trainee at the start of the regeneration project.  Emma is now a Supervisor responsible for the Italian Garden and is currently completing her RHS Advanced qualification.  With a particular passion for the Tall Bearded Iris collection she has become a bit of an iris geek!

 

 

 

Clive Mollart – Garden Supervisor, Eastern Pleasure Garden

Clive joined the team earlier this year after a long and illustrious career in horticulture. Clive has run his own design business; worked as a green keeper and a landscape gardener across several sectors and decades!

 

 

 

 

 

Maureena Toft – Craft Gardener

A Shropshire lass, Maureena began her training with the national trust at Powis Castle after leaving school.  After working at Bridgemere Nurseries for 9 years she joined Trentham at the start of the regeneration project.  She is now a craft gardener maintaining Piet Oudolf's new scheme and renowned for being a keen plants woman with a love of propagating and growing plants.

 

 

 

 

Joanne Fawcett – Student Gardener

Joanne joined the Trentham team early this year as our apprentice gardener.  She can often be found tending the ‘Central ITV Eco-garden’ or manicuring the Piet Oudolf scheme.  Since embarking upon her new career Jo has qualified in her NPTC Tractor Driving and is soon to start her RHS Level 2 certificate.

“The love of gardening is a seed that once sown never dies, but always grows and grows to an enduring and ever increasing source of happiness.” – Gertrude Jekyll

 

 

Sam O’Dunne - Gardener

Sam joined Trentham after leaving school and gained his NVQ level 2 in horticulture whilst training as an apprentice gardener.  He is now a full time gardener whose specialities include grass maintenance and machinery.  His major love in life (other then gardening of course) is fishing!

 

 

 

 

 

Mark Porter - Gardener

A local lad, Mark began his training at Trentham as an apprentice gardener and gained his NVQ level 2 in horticulture.  He is now a full time gardener and has been involved in all the major projects especially the implementation and maintenance of Tom Stuart-Smiths planting scheme in the Italian Garden.  Mark is quite the comedian and keeps us all amused.

 

 

 

 

 

Terri Hodson-Walker - Gardener

Terri began her career at Birmingham Botanical Gardens whilst studying for her NVQ level 2 shortly after leaving school.  She then progressed to NVQ level 3 whilst working for her dad’s landscape company.  Terri joined the Trentham team in 2007 and has already redeveloped the Mediterranean show garden and works closely with Tom Stuart-Smiths scheme in the Italian Garden.

 

 

 

 

Phil Tatler - Gardener

Born and bred in Stoke on Trent, Phil was originally an electrician and computer engineer.  However he finally broke the shackles from his desk job to start his gardening career at Trentham in 2005.  He has since completed NVQ level 2 in gardening and soon to complete his RHS advanced certificate.  Full of good ideas, Phil is responsible for installing the bird hides in the woodland garden and also designs the seasonal bedding schemes in the Upper Flower Garden.

 

 

 

 

Georgina the Cat

Georgina found us over a year ago and has become our friendly garden companion ever since.  She now lives wild in the garden and does an excellent job of pest control in return for a daily feed.  You will normally find her basking in the sun in the Upper Flower Garden.