West Dean promotes horticultural excellence

West Dean Gardens launch Jim Buckland and Sarah Wain Trainee Horticulturalist Fund

In the year that they retire, West Dean Gardens is establishing a fund and seeking

donations, to establish a Trainee Horticulturalist post in honour of the legacy that Head

Gardeners Jim Buckland and Sarah Wain have left in the gardens; to give someone at the

start of their career, the chance they need to work towards managing a garden like West

Dean.

Jim and Sarah have spent the last 28 years revitalising the magnificent landscape and making

West Dean Gardens one of the greatest restored gardens in the UK. They will retire in

spring 2019.

As Sarah Wain said: “Large gardens want people to come with experience, but it’s so

difficult to gain experience in the first place, it’s a catch 22. We want to set up a fund to help

a person right at the beginning of their horticultural journey so they can one day manage

large gardens like West Dean.”

Through a complete annual cycle, the trainee will work with the West Dean team, learning

about every aspect of the gardens and gaining practical experience that will act as a

springboard for their career. They will be eligible to apply to the most prestigious

horticultural training programmes in the country, including the RHS Diploma or Kew

apprenticeship scheme; without this experience, they may not be considered.

West Dean’s aim is to secure enough money to fund the first three years of this

programme, which equates to £70 a day. The cost to deliver the Trainee Horticulturalist

post next year is £17,400 which covers their salary, membership of the Professional

Gardeners’ Guild and vital health and safety training courses.

West Dean Gardens are open to the public from February to December

(Closed December 24th to January 31, 2019).

West Dean Gardens, Near Chichester, West Sussex, PO18 ORX

www.westdeangardens.org.uk