Radio Stoke Features

Carol Adams

Carol Adams lectures in garden design at Reaseheath College near Nantwich.

She joined Reaseheath from Bridgemere Garden World, where she spent 11 years as a garden designer and landscape manager. She’s also worked at Dobbies Garden Centre and Stapeley Water Gardens, adding to her wide experience of buying and retail management.

Apart from taking the lead on show gardens, Carol manages the part time Professional Diploma in Garden Design and the Advanced Certificate in Garden Design. She also teaches on the Foundation Degree in Garden and Landscape Design and on the RHS programmes.

Carol has led a team of staff and students to medal victories – including gold and best in show - at prestigious national flower shows every year for the past five years. In recognition of that, last year she received the Reaseheath Star Award, presented annually to the person judged to have made the most outstanding contribution to the college’s success.

Carol can be contacted at www.reaseheath.ac.uk

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Keith Atkey

Keith remembers, as a boy, helping his mother plant pansies and double daisies, bought from the market - their roots wrapped in newspaper. A large horticultural gap followed, until his early twenties, when he spent a few happy years working in a vineyard and olive grove in Tuscany.

Although he originally trained to become a solicitor, it soon became clear he wasn’t cut out for the law, so he wrote to Bridgemere Nurseries, asking for a job! That Autumn he enrolled at Reaseheath College to study for the National Certificate of Horticulture, returning to Bridgemere the following summer, where he’s remained ever since.

He has been responsible for the preparation of plants for three Chelsea Show Gardens - one of which, the Daily Telegraph’s Latin Garden, won Best in Show - and for one at the first Tatton Park Show in 2000, which also won Best in Show.

He not only writes for national publications, but also compiles blogs on daily observations of plants (www.wyevale.co.uk./gardenersdiary). He also lectures on hardy plants at both Bridgemere and local gardening clubs.

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Marcus Chilton-Jones

Marcus developed an interest in gardening whilst a student at Manchester University. All his holidays were taken up working at a local nursing home in Worcester as an assistant gardener.

In 1994 he joined the National Trust as an apprentice and worked at Nymans Gardens in West Sussex, receiving periodic ‘block-release’ tuition in horticulture at Cannington College in Somerset. Upon graduating from this apprenticeship, he moved to Morden Hall Park in London where he spent over three years restoring the grounds around the hall and specifically the Edwardian Rose Garden.

In 2000 he was appointed Head Gardener at The Vyne in Hampshire. Three years later he joined the BBC as Head Gardener at Berryfields in Warwickshire, setting up the garden behind the scenes for the on-screen presenters.

In 2004 he joined Trentham Gardens as Assistant Manager, working on the massive restoration project undertaken there. In late 2008 he moved over to The Dorothy Clive Garden, near Woore, Staffordshire (www.dorothyclivegarden.co.uk). He still lives in Stoke-on-Trent, but commutes the 8 miles to his new job on a daily basis.

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Peter Clarke

Peter Clarke is head gardener at Biddulph Grange. 

After spending 2 ½ years at the Arboretum at Kew, Peter went on to gain his Diploma in Horticulture at Edinburgh’s Botanical gardens.

His career has seen him spend a one year Scholarship at the Botanical Gardens in Jerusalem, 6 ½ yrs as Head Gardener for the restoration of Castle Bromwich Gardens, an English Heritage Superintendent – and head Gardener at The national Trust’s Ham House, restoring their Kitchen garden.

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Jenny Hendy

Jenny’s passion for plants began early – entering gardening competitions at infant’s school!
With an Honours Degree in Botany from Bangor University, she first worked in horticultural retail before joining Gardening Which? Magazine in 1985 as a researcher/writer. A year later she took time out to join a French expedition to the South American rainforest, helping to trial a giant, hot-air-balloon-driven raft that landed on the tree canopy.
A freelance journalist since 1991, her articles have appeared in many of the leading gardening and lifestyle publications. Since 1996 Jenny has written and contributed to more than 20 books, with topics ranging from design and planting, containers, topiary, wild gardens and children's gardening. Last year 'Easy Care Garden', her first book for the RHS was published and she also contributed to the RHS Encyclopedia of Garden Design, out earlier this year.
Jenny communicates her enthusiasm for gardening and wildlife as a lecturer and demonstrator, helping to run the well-established Grosvenor Gardening School, (www.grosvenorgardencentre.co.uk) as well as speaking at clubs and societies. Most recently, she co-founded a children’s nature and art activity programme for primary schools.
Running a busy garden design consultancy, with projects here and in the Mediterranean, Jenny spends more time in other people’s plots than her own and cheekily describes her jungalescent organic garden in Wales as a wildlife preserve!

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Joe Smith

Joe developed an interest in Gardening at the age of 15, when he served an apprenticeship with Accrington Borough Council. Following that, he spent a year at Lancashire College of Agriculture and two years at the Essex Institute, where he attained the College’s Diploma and the RHS National Diploma in Horticulture.

A career in public sector horticulture followed, working in landscape for a London Borough, Regional parks manager with Strathclyde Council, Principle Parks Officer with Bolton MBC and finally as Director of Leisure with Stockport Borough Council.

Joe now lives in retirement at Cheddleton in the Staffordshire Moorlands with his wife Kit and family (including 5 grandchildren), but stays in touch by lecturing part time in Gardening and Business studies at Leek College.

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Anita Wright

From a very early age, Anita has always had an interest in gardening. For evening relaxation she joined flower arranging classes, rapidly progressing to a high standard and winning many competitions. Anita studied for a City & guilds qualification in Floral Art and Horticulture. She has been a NAFAS demonstrator for more than 25 years.
As well as entertaining Flower Clubs, WIs, Gardening groups etc., Anita teaches flower arranging. She regularly welcomes groups to her home and garden. Anita moved to her present house, The Garth at Milford in 1982 and has opened its gardens every year since on behalf of The National Gardens Scheme –“The Yellow Book”.

She won the Stafford in Bloom “ Gardener of the Year” title in 2006, while in 2007 Anita’s garden was one of just a few in Staffordshire honoured by a visit from the Hardy Plant Society.

She is also 2nd Vice Chairman of Mercia & North Wales Area of NAFA (National Association of Flower Arranging Societies) and Chairman of Shows and Events. In her spare time Anita writes articles on gardening and flower arranging for magazines.

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