Your RHS Trustees
Council comprises the President, Treasurer, 15 members – all of whom are elected by the RHS membership - and up to two co-opted members.
President: Elizabeth Banks DL, CMLI
(Elected to Council in 2007; Re-elected as President 2012)
As RHS President, Elizabeth plays an important role in the governance of the RHS and is the first Chairman of the new Horticulture Board. She is a member of the Gardens Committee and is also an RHS Judge.
Elizabeth is a landscape architect. With her husband Lawrence Banks, who is a Vice President of the Society, she manages the Hergest Estate and Hergest Croft Gardens which extend to more than 70 acres.
Along with the RHS, Elizabeth is a trustee of several other charities including the Gateway Gardens Trust and chairman of the Queenswood Coronation Fund. She is a local councillor and also a member of the Arboreta Advisory Committee for Westonbirt Arboretum and Bedgebury Pinetum. She holds honorary degrees in design from the University of Greenwich, and the University of Worcester.
Treasurer: Sir Nicholas Bacon Bt, OBE, DL
(Elected to Council in 2008; Re-elected as Treasurer in 2012)
As RHS Treasurer Sir Nicholas plays an active role in the governance of the RHS. He is the first Chairman of the new Commercial Board and is a member of the Gardens Committee.
Sir Nicholas owns and runs Raveningham Hall Estate in Norfolk which is a family garden, open for 80 days a year, specialising in Galanthus, Euphorbias, and Agapanthus. He is also Chairman of the East of England Regional Committee of the National Trust; a Further Education college specialising in horticulture; an artistic festival; and various other rural based organisations.
Other Members of Council
James Alexander-Sinclair
(Elected to Council in 2011; to retire at the AGM in 2016)
James is a member of the Horticulture Board, the Herbaceous Plant Committee and is also an RHS Judge.
He is a practising Garden Designer working all over the country, writing for several magazines, newspapers and websites. He lectures at garden shows and clubs and is occasionally let loose on television. James' garden in Northamptonshire has featured widely in the garden press and he regularly presents on gardening for the BBC.
George Anderson MBE
(Re-elected to Council in 2011; to retire at the AGM in 2016)
George is Chairman of the Education Committee, a member of the Horticulture Board and Bursaries Committee and an RHS Judge.
As a plantsman and avid horticulturist, George has been involved in gardening and horticulture all his life. He is a keen practical gardener and allotment holder and is concerned with the need for practical skills to be passed on to the next generation of gardeners.
He is also a senior RHS examiner and guest presenter on The Beechgrove Garden. George is a past president of the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society.
Rosie Atkins
(Elected to Council in 2010, to retire at the AGM in 2015)
Rosie is Chairman of the Awards Committee. She is a member of the following: Horticulture Board; Nominations, Appointments and Governance Committee; Woody Plant Committee; Gardens Committee; and the Lindley Library and Arts Committee. She is also the Garden Advisor for Rosemoor and an RHS Judge.
For eight years Rosie was Curator of Chelsea Physic Garden, London's oldest botanic Garden. She is Chairman of London Gardens Network, a member of Great Dixter Charitable Trust and Gardening for the Disabled Trust, and Patron of The Professional Gardeners' Guild Trust Appeal, as well as The Fairbridge Society.
Rosie launched Gardens Illustrated magazine in 1992 and was awarded Editors' Editor by the British Society of Magazine Editors in 1996. She has gardened in allotments, on roof gardens and the backyard of a London terrace.
Christopher Blundell
(Elected to Council 2009; to retire at AGM 2014)
Christopher is a member of the following: Pensions and Remuneration Committee; Woody Plant Committee; and the Gardens Committee.
He is a strong supporter of RHS Garden Harlow Carr and has been appointed Garden Advisor. He has considerable knowledge and experience both of marketing and fundraising which he shares in support the Society’s education programme.
Mark Fane
(Elected to Council 2009; to retire at AGM 2014)
Mark is a member of the Commercial Board; Pensions and Remuneration Committee; and the Investments Comittee. He is also an RHS Judge.
Using his extensive knowlege in commercial growing and retailing, Mark helped establish Crocus.co.uk. It is now the UK’s leading gardening internet business. He has built 17 show gardens at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show. Out of these gardens, 14 have received gold medals and 6 won best in show awards.
Dennis Espley
(Elected to Council 2011; to retire at the AGM in 2016)
Dennis is an RHS Pension Trustee, a member of the Commercial Board and Tender Ornamental Plant Committee.
He is currently Chairman of the UK Garden Centre Association and a member of The Worshipful Company of Gardeners.
A former pupil of Pershore College, Dennis has spent 40 years in horticulture, mostly in garden centres. During the last 25 years he has worked at Squire’s Garden Centres where now he is Managing Director.
Professor Peter Gregory
(Elected to Council 2010; to retire at AGM 2015)
Peter is Chairman of the Science Committee and a member of the Horticulture Board. He is a soil scientist by profession with particular interests in how plant roots interact with soils, and obtain water and nutrients.
Sharing his knowledge in science, Peter is on a wide range of scientific advisory committees. He is currently Chief Executive at East Malling Research; Chairman of the Advisory Committee for Novel Foods and Processes for the Food Standards Agency; and a member of the Scottish Science Advisory Council.
Peter is a keen practical gardener who gets great pleasure from growing plants.
David Haselgrove
(Re-elected to Council 2011; to retire at the AGM in 2013)
David is a member of the Audit and Risk Committee; Gardens Committee; Horticulture Board; Nominations, Appointments and Governance Committee; and the Joint Rock Garden Plant Committee. He is also Garden Advisor for Hyde Hall and an RHS Judge.
Since 1985, David has created a 3 ½ acre garden on a bare field site in Hertfordshire (but has since moved to Wiltshire). He practiced as a Solicitor for 36 years in North East London until his retirement, and served as publications manager for the Alpine Garden Society for 25 years. He currently serves on its Committee.
Neil Lucas M.I. Hort
(Elected to Council 2012; to retire at AGM 2017)
Neil is a member of the Herbaceous Plant Committee, and an RHS Judge. He is the UK's leading ornamental grass specialist, owner of Dorset-based Knoll Gardens, author, and holder of ten consecutive Gold Medals at RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
He is Chairman of Trustees for a recently launched charity called The Knoll Gardens Foundation. This organisation aims to promote garden practices to create sustainable, wildlife friendly and aesthetically pleasing gardens.
Known for his work with grasses, Neil published his first book in 2011, Designing with Grasses. He does however retains a deep interest in trees and shrubs, which is one of the reasons why he bought Knoll Gardens.
As an accomplished and enthusiastic writer and speaker, Neil is also in demand on the media circuit and has made numerous television appearances. He runs regular master classes and demonstrations from Knoll Gardens and lectures in both the UK and overseas.
Jekka McVicar
(Re-elected to Council 2010; to retire at the AGM in 2015)
Jekka is a member of the Horticulture Board; Fruit, Vegetable and Herb Committee; Nominations, Appointments and Governance Committee; Awards Committee; and the RHS Three Counties Agricultural Society Joint Committee. She is also an RHS Judge.
Known for her Herb Farm in Alveston, Bristol, Jekka is committed to organic horticulture and has been certified by the Soil Association. She has achieved great success as an exhibitor, having won 13 Gold Medals at RHS Chelsea Flower Show. She was also awarded the Best Floral Exhibit at Hampton Court in 2007 and 2008.
Jekka has written 4 books and is a regular contributor to national horticultural magazines.
David Morrison
(Re-elected to Council 2008; to retire at the AGM in 2013)
David is Chairman of Nominations, Appointments and Governance Committee and a member of the Commercial Board.
In his professional career David has been involved in Investment Management. Financing and developing companies in a range of industrial sectors has provided him with a wealth of experience in issues related to business and financial management, corporate governance and strategic direction.
Sandy Muirhead
(Re-elected to Council 2009; to retire at the AGM in 2014)
Sandy is Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee, Investments Committee, and is a member of the Commercial Board and Herbaceous Plant Committee.
In his professional career, Sandy is a chartered accountant and a founder partner of a leading private equity firm, Phoenix (which provides capital to support the growth and development of medium-sized UK companies). Sandy is passionate about gardening and, with his wife, spent 16 years creating an 8 acre garden from scratch.
Dougal Philip
(Re-elected to Council 2009; to retire at the AGM in 2014)
Dougal is a member of the Commercial Board and an RHS Judge. He has established and ran his own garden centre outside Edinburgh for more than 30 years and is a former President and long-time supporter of the Horticultural Trades Association.
Having desgined and built many show gardens, Dougal is now a judge and moderator at the RHS Shows.
Mark Porter
(Re-elected to Council 2012; to retire at the AGM in 2017)
Mark is a member of the Commercial Board. Following a long and successful career in IT, he acts as an external advisor to the RHS on IT projects.
As Chairman of the Itchen Valley Garden Society in Hampshire, Mark conducts lectures on designing of winter gardens, vineyards and wine making. The garden he has created at his home now opens to the public under the National Garden Scheme.
Mark has been a member of the RHS for many years, having developed a real passion for gardening since growing vegetables on my first allotment way back in the 1970’s.
Prunella Scarlett LVO
(Re-elected to Council 2010; to retire at the AGM in 2013)
Prunella is a member of the Horticulture Board, and Chairman of the Herbaceous Plant Committee. She is also an RHS Judge and has previously contributed to the Society in the areas of education and as Chairman of the Nominations Committee.
Her professional employment was with the Royal Commonwealth Society, where she served as Director, Commonwealth Affairs. Prunella has also served as Chairman or Board member on several international charities.
Jon Wheatley
(Re-elected to Council 2012; will retire at the AGM in 2017)
Jon is a member of the Tender Ornamental Plant Committee and the Chrysanthemum Advisory Group.
Having trained at RHS Wisley and then the Institute of Parks Administration, Jon initially worked in amenity and leisure management. This was followed by a 30 year career in local government in Parks and Recreation management. In 2000, he returned to plant production and growing, followed quickly by exhibiting at the RHS flower shows.
In a voluntary capacity he is involved in Britain in Bloom, South West in Bloom and a range of Horticultural Societies.