Dear ,
Lots more news, events and jobs in today's newsletter edition. Look out for news of a competition to win a copy of the new book, Biological Pest Control, by Dragonfli's Julian Ives which is now available to buy from all good bookshops!

If you missed the Sourcing & Establishing Healthy Trees event last week, you can catch a summary of the meeting on the meeting webpage. 

Booking has opened for the PlantNetwork webinars starting next month - all are free to members so do log in to the PlantNetwork website to avoid the non-members fee! 

The Erasmus+ project Craft Skills for Garden Conservation also has a number of day-long webinars coming up over the winter. All are free but do book early to avoid disappointment. The first, on 15 November 2022, is hosted by PlantNetwork and will feature some fantastic speakers talking about the use of ornamental plants in historic gardens. More information below.

Jupiter will reach opposition on Monday 26 September 2022, when it will be at its closest and brightest for the year, essentially creating a 'full' Jupiter so a great excuse to be out in the garden at night!

Finally, as next week sees the Plant Records Meeting and the PlantNetwork Board Meeting, expect a short newsletter and a slow(er) response from me to any emails.

Best wishes,
Rebecca (office@plantnetwork.org; 07551 867152)

Wednesday 28 September 2022

While booking has closed to the event, you can still pick up a last minute place by contacting Rebecca at office@plantnetwork.org. Thank you to all who have booked - see you next week for a full programme focusing on plant records!

Free to members! 

• Development and Restoration of Glasshouses, Thursday 20 October 2022, 3pm: will include a look at the new Woolbeding Glasshouse. Register for your FREE place.
• Plant Health Surveillance, Thursday 24 November 2022, 3pm: including an update from APHA. Register for your FREE place. 
• Sustainability 101, Thursday 15 December 2022, 3pm: wrapping up the PlantNetwork Year of Sustainability, we will hear from the RHS and other gardens about measures adopted or planned to improve garden sustainability. Register for your FREE place.

More webinars in January-April.....

After a summer of workshops, the European-wide project returns with a series of day-long webinars this November, January and February. All are free to attend but do require registration. The webinars include a long lunch break to enable all working gardeners to catch up on urgent garden tasks! Book early to avoid disappointment.

• Ornamental plants in historic gardens, Tuesday 15 November 2022, including speakers Dan Hale and Cassian Schmidt. Hosts: PlantNetwork. Full programme available soon. More information and to register.
• Trees in historic gardens in climate change, Tuesday 10 January 2023. Hosts: European Garden Heritage Network – Schloss Dyck Foundation. Full programme available soon. More information and to register.
• Hedges and topiary in historic gardens, Tuesday 07 February 2023. Hosts: Gunnebo House and Gardens. Full programme available soon. More information and to register.

Workshops to follow the webinars in summer 2023!

The cost of living crisis is already having an impact on many sectors including gardens and green spaces. PlantNetwork would like to hear your thoughts on this, particularly any insights or data you might be able to share on how it it is impacting or likely to impact your site or collection. What steps are you taking? Would you consider sharing concerns and measures with the wider PlantNetwork community? Send to office@plantnetwork.org. 

Send your photographs of plant pests, predators and/or biological control measures to @PlantNetwork (Twitter) or @plantnetworkgardens (Instagram) with the following hashtags: #biologicalpestcontrol, #julianives, and #biocontrol for a chance to win A Gardener's Guide to Biological Pest Control. Ensure you send your photo/s before 14 October 2022. Those with the most mentions/likes will be short-listed and a winner selected by a panel including the author. Winner will be notified by 24 October! 

If you missed last week's meeting or attended and wanted a summary of discussion, you can now access a report of the meeting including an overview of each speaker's presentation.

The historic maze at Grade II-listed Glendurgan Garden in Cornwall – once described as 'a small piece of heaven on earth' – is ready to delight many more generations of visitors after the completion of a four-year restoration project.  

The cherry laurel maze was originally planted in 1833 by Quakers Alfred and Sarah Fox to entertain their 12 children. Designed as ‘a series of irregular, winding walks that remind us of life, where we may go wrong in a multitude of ways, but right in only one’, it was inspired by the maze at Sydney Gardens in Bath, which sadly no longer survives.  

In October, the EGHN will start the Open Call for the European Garden Award 2023. Details will soon be available from www.eghn.eu.

With a short form (and without any costs or obligations for you), you will be asked to nominate in these categories: 

• “Management or Development of a Historic Park or Garden”
  (with Frederiksborg Castle Gardens and Great Dixter as winners of 2nd Prizes and Schwetzingen Castle Garden as the winner of the 1st Prize this year).
• “Design or Concept of a Contemporary Park or Garden”
  (with La Pista 500 and Podzámecký Park as winners of 2nd Prizes and RHS Garden Bridgewater as the winner of the 1st Prize this year).
• “Protection or Development of a Cultural Landscape” (with URBANCOWS as this year's winner).
• “Climate Mitigation Measures in Parks and Gardens” (with Enghaveparken as the first winner of the prize in this new category).

Join KMIS at RBG Kew or online for the series of lectures offered on Mondays at 6pm from September 2022 to March 2023. The full programme is available from the button below.

Simon Toomer, Curator of Living Collections at RBG Kew and former Chair of PlantNetwork, starts the series on 26 September with a lecture entitled "What should a botanical garden look like?"

Botanical University Challenge is an annual competition in which all the questions are botany themed and which runs between UK and Irish universities and related institutions - although they are looking to expand to other countries. They are writing an article about the use of quizzes (online or live) for teaching about plants and botany and generating enthusiasm amongst plant-aware students so would like to hear from you if you organise a plant-based quiz as a teaching mechanism.... Contact Jonathan Mitchley: j.mitchley@reading.ac.uk

Funding is available for nurse-led projects that promote the health benefits of gardening and garden visiting among a group of people in the community. Supported by the National Garden Scheme, applications are now open for projects starting in spring 2023.

Gleaning Cornwall clear up any leftover produce from fields and deliver to food banks so if you are in Cornwall and have left over produce fom orchards, kitchen gardens etc., do consider getting in touch with them! See: https://gleaningcornwall.org.uk/ 

If anyone is aware of other local organisations 'gleaning' produce, do get in touch so PlantNetwork can share details.

Thanks to Gary Long and the Cornwall Professional Gardeners Group for this information.

• The First International Plant Health Conference - registration now open, 21 – 23 September 2022, Queen Elizabeth II Centre, London. 
• Apprentice and Trainee Discovery Day 2022, RHS Garden Wisley, Wednesday 28 September 2022. Open to all garden apprentices and trainees.
• FOREST : WAKE THIS GROUND, exhibition at Arnolfini in Bristol until 02 October 2022. More information.
• Ready to Plant - Free Online Workshop, 03 October 2022 1-3pm. More information and to register.
• Chartered Institute of Horticulture Conference, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, 05-06 October 2022. More information and to register. 
• Tree and Plant Biosecurity for Professionals, Yorkshire Arboretum, 12 October, 09 November or 23 November 2022. More information and to register.
• Amenity Forum Conference, 13 October 2022, Kettering. More information.
• The Walled Kitchen Gardens Network – Forum 2022 at Audley End, 14-15 October 2022. More information and to download the booking form.
• Future Parks Accelerator - Naturally thriving: Rethinking urban green space [online conference] – Monday 17 – Wednesday 19 October. More information.
• Natural Capital Finance & Investment Conference 2022, 17 October in London or 01 November in Edinburgh. More information.
• The National Garden Scheme’s 2022 Annual Lecture with Arabella Lennox-Boyd, 17 November 2022, RGS and online. More information and to book.
• Bgen training - Soil Secrets: The Hidden World, online training, 23 November 2022, 0930-1230. More information and to register.
• Bgen Annual Conference 2023, 11 -12 January 2023, RHS Garden Wisley. Booking opens soon. More information.
• The Gardens Trust have launched their autumn programme: The Fabric of Flowers, British Spa Landscapes, 19th Century Garden - The Global Garden, and (with Historic Gardens Foundation) Unforgettable Gardens.

• Take the Beech Leaf Disease (BLD) survey
  
• Tackling tree pests and diseases at our borders, Forestry Commission blog
• Field Studies Courses  - see all natural history courses
  
• Climate change threatens health and survival of urban trees, BBC News
• The remarkable story of how Hong Kong’s loneliest tree could save a species, via Scotland, South China Morning Post
• How Old Is Zimbabwe’s Famed ‘Big Tree’?, Atlas Obscura
• Mexican mangroves have been capturing carbon for 5,000 years, Phys Org
• What caused the world's largest die-off of mangroves? A wobble in the moon's orbit is partly to blame, Phys Org
• King Charles III, Gardener King, Gardens Illustrated
• Kew's newly redeveloped kitchen garden prepares for its first harvest, Gardens Illustrated

Location: Plant Conservation Centre, Lashbrook Farmhouse, Talaton, EX5 2RU
Salary: £25,662 PA
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Closing date: 02 October 2022

The National Trust is looking for a new Propagator to help the team conserve one of the largest collections of cultivated plants in the world, within the largest collection of historic gardens under single ownership in Europe. Our most significant plants range from original introductions to horticultural rarities, to ancient and veteran trees, to those with amazing associated stories such as Isaac Newton’s apple tree.

As a Propagator you'll use your propagation and plant husbandry skills to propagate and raise the large variety of rare, delicate or otherwise significant plants entrusted to the Plant Conservation Centre (PCC). You'll carry out the day-to-day operation of the nursery, from plant care through to record keeping, including the management of pests and diseases.

What it's like to work here

It’s an incredible place to work and you’ll be responsible for producing plants that will be cared for in our living collections for decades to come. No two days are the same and you’ll enjoy the chance to test your knowledge. Your propagation skills will be called upon to save rare and endangered species making sure they are not lost to cultivation and enjoyed by visitors to our gardens. There are opportunities to build relationships with specialists across the Trust and within other organisations, to share the work of the PCC with the public, and to identify and implement new best practices or ways of working. 

To find out more, please visit: Plant Conservation Centre | National Trust

What you'll be doing

An enthusiastic, positive asset to any team, you’re truly passionate about plants and gardening and you’ll want to make the most of this rare opportunity to share such a diverse and fascinating environment. Joining our dedicated conservation team, you’ll help look after the day-to-day management of the nursery, propagating and producing an extensive variety of plants for the replenishment of National Trust gardens across the country. This will include managing stock control, plant production and plant movement records. You’ll also work closely with your team, supporting the Nursery Manager and Senior Propagator in cultivating an atmosphere of innovation, energy and commitment. A driving licence is needed, as you'll sometimes need to visit other properties to collect material, drop off plants, share the driving on a long trip to one of our northern properties, or pick up a machinery part from a supplier.

Who we're looking for

We'd love to hear from you if you have: 

• Practical experience in a variety of plant propagation methods, as well as plant production and husbandry, supported by appropriate qualifications to NVQ/RHS level 3 (or equivalent level of vocational experience).
• Proven experience of team working and good people skills, with some experience of working with volunteers.
• A keen eye for detail, whether it’s spotting potential plant health issues or keeping accurate records.
• A valid driving licence and be flexible enough to commit to a weekend working rota plus occasional out of hours duties.

For more information, including details of staff benefits, and to apply for this role, please visit the National Trust jobs website.

Location: Bedgebury National Pinetum and Forest
Salary: £35,167 - £38,081
Contract: Full-time, permanent
Closing date: 10 October 2022

As the Bedgebury Manager you will be in the main leadership role and deliver across a broad range of strategic operational areas and projects. You will inspire and motivate your team to deliver a high level of service to our visitors and members and continue the globally important conifer conservation work. You will create an inclusive environment where everyone can feel a sense of belonging. 

Your role is diverse, and you will line manage a team which is responsible for the National Pinetum, creating a welcoming place for our visitors, an extensive recreation offer, learning, volunteering, events and marketing. You will need to work with other Forestry England national and East England district colleagues. You will engage key stakeholders including business partners, industry specialists, volunteers, local authorities, and local residents to achieve success. 

By joining Forestry England, you will work for the largest provider of outdoor recreation in England and a world leader in sustainable forestry and conservation.

You will support Forestry England to deliver our 5-year plan Growing Our Future through your leadership role. Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest is part of the nation’s forests which provides a range of benefits for people, nature and the economy. 

The National Pinetum has been awarded ArbNet Level 4 which is the highest international standard a botanic garden can achieve. The Pinetum is a Grade II listed landscape, and the surrounding forest is designated as ancient woodland.

Bedgebury is one of a handful of tree collections around the world that focuses specifically on conifers and seeks to raise awareness about the importance of trees in our lives. You will lead by steering and driving Bedgebury’s tree conservation work and deliver our vision and plans to celebrate the Pinetum’s centenary in 2025. The centenary is an opportunity to further promote Bedgebury’s international work, to engage new audiences and deliver a series of projects to mark this milestone. 

Bedgebury’s recreation, visitor experience and events programme generate important income and plays an essential role in fulfilling the aims of Forestry England and delivering health and well being for all through connections with nature in our nation’s forests. You will lead on developing our offer, creating a cohesive visitor attraction from a botanic garden alongside wider forest activities and helping to grow c£1.7m of income from our commercial activities. 

For more information about the role including person specification, responsibilities and benefits, and to apply, please see the Civil Service Jobs website. 

CLOSING SOON: Senior Gardener/Uwch Arddwr, Bodnant Gardens – National Trust. £25,662 per annum, full-time, permanent. Closing date: 25 September 2022. For more information and to apply - click here.

CLOSING SOON: Senior Gardener/Uwch Arddwr, Dyffryn House & Gardens – National Trust. £25,500 per annum, full-time, permanent. Closing date: 25 September 2022. For more information and to apply - click here.

CLOSING SOON: Botanical Horticulturist, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. £20,000 per annum, full-time, permanent. Closing date: 25 September 2022. For more information and to apply - click here.

CLOSING SOON: Garden Technician, University of Dundee Botanic Garden. £20,092 – £22,847 per annum, full-time, permanent. Closing date: 26 September 2022. For more information and to apply - click here.

CLOSING SOON: Horticulturist, Benmore Botanic Garden – Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. £21,213 (pay award pending) per annum, full-time, permanent. Closing date: 27 September 2022. For more information - click here. To apply, send a CV, covering letter and equal opportunities form to recruitment@rbge.org.uk.

Curator, Abbotsbury Sub-Tropical Gardens, Dorset. Guide £45,000 plus benefits, full-time, permanent. Closing date: 31 September 2022. To apply, send CVs to sophie.aplin@ilchester-estates.co.uk.

Gardens Maintenance Officer, Powell-Cotton Trust. £21,500 per annum, full-time (35 hours per week), permanent. Closing date: 02 October 2022. For more information and to apply - click here.

Plant Centre Team Leader, RHS Garden Hyde Hall. £22,116 pa, full-time. Closing date: none specified. For more information and to apply - click here.

Team Leader Inner Walled Garden, RHS Garden Bridgewater. £28,029 – £29,395 (depending on skills and experience), full-time, permanent. Closing date: none. For more information and to apply - click here.

Horticulturist – Woodland, RHS Garden Wisley. £22,354 – £24,387 per annum, full-time (working 5 days out of 7), permanent. Closing date: none. For more information and to apply - click here.

Horticulturist – Herbaceous, RHS Garden Wisley. £22,354 – £24,387 per annum, full-time (working 5 days out of 7), permanent. Closing date: none. For more information and to apply - click here.

Garden Manager, RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Up to £38,600, full-time, permanent. Closing date: none. For more information and to apply - click here.

Horticulturist (Level 1), RHS Garden Hyde Hall. £21,676, full-time, permanent. Closing date: none. For more information and to apply - click here.

Assistant Gardener, Mertoun Gardens, Scottish Borders. Attractive salary, full-time. No specified closing date. Apply for an application form and/or direct all questions to: estateoffice@mertoun.com. For more information about the garden: www.mertoungardens.co.uk. See the PlantNetwork recruitment page for more detailed advert.