Press releases

New Curator for RHS Garden Hyde Hall

Ian LeGros has been appointed as Curator of RHS Garden Hyde Hall, Essex.

Ian has been Acting Curator, jointly with Andrew Lodge, since January. He joined the Hyde Hall team as an untrained assistant gardener 14 years ago shortly before the garden was given to the RHS. He subsequently completed several RHS and AUTOCAD qualifications and was promoted steadily, becoming Superintendent in April 2005. He has been involved in many of Hyde Hall’s landmark projects including setting out the Farmhouse Garden, the redevelopment of the Queen Mother’s Garden, and the creation of the Millennium Avenue and Wild Wood. Ian started his career in landscape surveying.

Jill Cherry, RHS Director of Gardens and Estates, said, “Ian clearly knows the garden inside out, and his commitment to its ongoing development, coupled with his planning and surveying skills, will be invaluable as we embark on the next phase of investment at Hyde Hall.”

Ian LeGros said, “Hyde Hall has a unique horticultural setting - a great variety of planting styles, on a hill in the flat, arable Essex landscape. I’m looking forward in particular to developing more natural landscape planting, with trees and hedgerows to exploit the views and to ground the garden in the tradition of the historic Essex countryside before intensive farming.”

He added, “I am keen to build on the work across the RHS to make gardens and gardening accessible to people at whatever level they wish, and demonstrate simple techniques to get more from your gardening.”

Ian LeGros succeeds former curator Troy Scott Smith who left the RHS in December 2005.

Notes to Editors

For more information or an image of Ian LeGros, please contact: Laura Tibbs in the RHS Press Office on 0870 350 1769 or e-mail lauratibbs@rhs.org.uk

www.rhs.org.uk/pressoffice

The RHS is the UK’s leading gardening charity dedicated to advancing horticulture and promoting good gardening. RHS work includes providing expert advice and information, advancing horticulture, training the next generation of gardeners, helping school children learn about plants, and conducting research into plants, pests and environmental issues affecting gardeners.

An interest in gardening is all you need to enjoy being a member of the RHS. For more information visit www.rhs.org.uk or call 0845 130 4646.

Founded in 1804, the Royal Horticultural Society is Britain's largest gardening charity and is committed to being the leading organisation demonstrating excellence in horticulture and promoting gardening. Renowned for its outstanding gardens and inspirational flower shows, the RHS is a key source of advice and information for all gardeners. It encourages gardening through its publications, trials, lectures, education programmes and scientific research and is home to the Lindley Library, which contains the most comprehensive collection of horticultural books in the world.

Membership of the Royal Horticultural Society offers many exclusive benefits including a monthly copy of The Garden magazine; free entrance to RHS Gardens Wisley in Surrey, Rosemoor in Devon, Hyde Hall in Essex and Harlow Carr in North Yorkshire; free access to a further 88 beautiful gardens across Britain and 20 gardens in Belgium and France; access to seeds collected at RHS gardens; free gardening advice and privileged tickets to 18 RHS flower shows, including the Chelsea Flower Show, the Hampton Court Palace Flower Show and the RHS Flower Show at Tatton Park.

For further enquiries about membership of the RHS contact: Membership Department, Royal Horticultural Society, PO Box 313, London SW1P 2PE; 0845 130 4646 Monday - Friday 9.30am - 5pm or via the RHS website

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