FutureHort conference

Horticulture is changing and so are the opportunities available — join us in person or online to discover where horticulture can take you.

Saturday 7 March 2026
9am – 3pm

Horticulture is changing and so are the opportunities available — join us in person or online to discover where horticulture can take you.

Plant the idea. Grow the passion. Shape the future.

Whether you’re a student, career‑changer, educator, or simply curious about where green industries are heading, FutureHort opens the door to exciting, meaningful, and sustainable careers.

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Why attend FutureHort?

  • Explore real career pathways across modern horticulture
  • Hear from industry professionals working at the cutting edge
  • Explore the benefits of the RHS courses of study
  • Get inspired to turn your interest in horticulture into a rewarding career

About the event

  • The doors will open at 9am for refreshments and networking.
  • The conference will take place from 9.50am until 3pm, after 3pm you will have free time to explore the garden.
  • To give you a flavour of the event you can view recordings from our 2024 MHort FutureHort conference.

Agenda

  • 9am - Registration (refreshments available)
  • 9.50am-10am - Introduction, George Long
  • 10am-10:30am - Owen Hayman, Pictorial meadows: The urban meadows spectrum
  • 10.30am-11am - George Hudson, Plants Gardens and politics
  • 11am-11:30am - Owen Grummett, Looking back and moving forwards: Ecological solutions in Horticulture
  • 11:30am-12:30pm - Guided tours
  • 12:30pm-1:15pm - Lunch and networking
  • 1:15pm-1:45pm - Meg Cobley, Professional gardening as a second career: The challenges faces and opportunities for support
  • 1:45pm-2:15pm- Neville Stein, Moving on up: Building your horticultural business
  • 2:15pm-2:45pm - Dr Hayley Jones, Slugs: friend or foe
  • 2:45pm-3pm - Q&A's and finish, George Long
  • 3pm - Free time to explore the garden (closes at 4pm)

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Meet the speakers

Owen Hayman | Pictorial Meadows: the urban meadow spectrum

Owen is the Horticulture Innovation Manager at Pictorial Meadows, part of The Green Estate Community Interest Company. The organisation creates and maintains flower‑rich landscapes across the UK to support wellbeing, biodiversity, climate resilience and local regeneration. It manages over 80 hectares of urban green space and produces biodiverse meadow seed mixes and turf.

Originally studying art, Owen went on to complete a Degree and Masters in Environmental Science at the University of Sheffield before working in plant–soil–atmosphere research. He later transitioned into horticulture, earning the RHS Level 4 Diploma in Horticultural Practice. Outside work, he is a keen gardener with two allotments.

George Hudson | Plants, gardens and politics

George is Senior Policy and Public Affairs Manager at the RHS, leading engagement with government, regulators, industry and NGOs to embed the value of plants, gardens and horticultural skills into policy on health, nature recovery, climate resilience and the built environment.

He is also a trustee of the Professional Gardeners’ Trust and a committee member of the London Garden Network. George’s background spans gardening, teaching and public campaigning, including teaching work‑based horticulture at Walworth Garden, working in the charity and museum sector, and serving as a local councillor. He studied political science and wrote the Evening Standard gardening column until 2024.

Owen Grummett | Looking back and moving forward: ecological solutions in horticulture

Owen holds a BSc in Environmental Science and recently achieved a Distinction in the RHS Master of Horticulture, supported by the 2022 Japanese Garden Society scholarship. Since 2014 he has been Head Gardener at Heritage Gardening Ltd, leading a team of fifteen in the renovation and care of historic manor gardens in Wiltshire.

With a background in environmental science and ecology, Owen champions working with natural processes to create sustainable plant communities and is committed to promoting an ecological approach to horticulture for the landscapes of the future.

Meg Cobley | Professional gardening as a second career: the challenges faced and opportunities for support

Meg is a professional gardener and garden designer with over a decade of experience creating sustainable, beautiful spaces and developing the skills of fellow gardeners. After an earlier career as a teacher and school principal, she moved into horticulture via a WRAGS traineeship at a Cambridge College and went on to achieve the MHort with Distinction in 2025.

She is now establishing the Cambridge Gardening School, supporting career changers and aspiring gardeners by equipping them with the practical skills and knowledge needed to succeed and run their own businesses.

Neville Stein | Moving on up – building your horticultural business

Neville has worked in the horticultural industry for 49 years and is recognised as an expert business consultant and trainer for small and medium‑sized enterprises, including family‑run firms. His consultancy work spans the UK and international projects in Eastern Europe and China.

Alongside his consultancy, Neville teaches management to horticultural students and currently lectures on the Kew Diploma, the RHS Level 4 Diploma in Horticultural Practice, and the Professional Horticulture Programme at Longwood Gardens. He is also an assessor for the RHS Master of Horticulture.

Dr Hayley Jones | Slugs – friend or foe

Hayley is Principal Entomologist at the RHS, leading a team that delivers research and advice to help gardeners manage plant health sustainably and support wildlife‑friendly gardening. She promotes understanding and enjoyment of the invertebrate life found in gardens.

Her research focuses on slugs and snails—the most frequent animal enquiry to the RHS Gardening Advice service—developing effective, environmentally friendly management approaches and exploring their diversity and roles within garden ecosystems.

George Long | Host

George is a horticultural consultant and a registered member of the Society of Garden Designers. As an RHS Professional Associate, he serves as Lead Examiner for all practical horticulture qualifications and as Project Supervisor for the RHS Level 3 Award in Horticultural Research. He holds the RHS Master of Horticulture, receiving the MHort Dissertation Award for his work on inclusive horticulture, and is currently completing a Masters in Global Environment and Sustainability, focusing on horticulture’s impacts on people and the planet.

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Contact us
For more information or if you have a question, please get in touch with the MHort team. 

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