The 35-year journey of RHS Rosemoor’s fastest potting volunteer
From recording plants to supporting the Nursery team, Diana Goodacre has been part of the growth of RHS Garden Rosemoor for the past 35 years, a contribution that has earned her the prestigious RHS Lifetime Volunteer award
Whoever has met Diana Goodacre knows that she has a superpower: potting plants at speed. She has been doing this as a volunteer at RHS Garden Rosemoor for a long time, alongside helping with plant recording and labelling, guided tours and children’s events.
Her 35-year commitment at the RHS has now been officially recognised with the RHS Lifetime Volunteer award 2025, a title created in 2024 to honour RHS volunteers who have achieved this extraordinary milestone.
A passion for potting
Diana in the nursery at RHS Rosemoor, doing what she does best: potting up plants
“One day, Major General Rougier, the then Head of Site at RHS Rosemoor, visited my village in Devon during a local event. He was looking for volunteers who could lend a hand in the garden, which is only five miles from where I live,” said Diana, who immediately embraced the opportunity.
Already passionate about plants, she was initially recruited to volunteer in Lady Anne’s Arboretum, which remained her primary area of responsibility for 20 years. There, and in other formal areas of the garden, Diana was involved in plant records, going out to the assigned area with long rolls of paper. She would check the order of the plants and whether they were still alive and then enter details of any new plantings to update the database used at the time.
Fifteen years ago, Diana moved into the nursery, where she still supports the gardening team with whatever is required, from potting to labelling.
“Diana is a super-speedy potter and we often struggle to keep up with her!” said RHS horticulturist Claire Rady. “She can pot between 50 and 200 plants in one morning, depending on their size or whether they need pruning or tidying beforehand. The plants we pot together then go all over RHS Rosemoor, especially to the Cottage Garden, where there is a regular change of
Whenever is required, Diana also leads guided walks for coach parties and gardening clubs across the garden and offers her support with children’s events during the school holidays.
Witnessing 35 years of garden growth
Diana Goodacre started volunteering at RHS Garden Rosemoor on 1 April 1990
Even after 35 years, she discovers something new every week, with her favourite areas being Lady Anne’s Arboretum, the Foliage Garden and the Cool Garden.
“I am fond of Lady Anne’s Arboretum because I volunteered in it for a long time,” she said. “It’s warmer, quieter and more informal than other areas of RHS Rosemoor, and bursts with birdlife in the trees. I love going there just to listen to birdsong. A plant that I particularly like here is Kirengeshoma palmata, with its sycamore-like leaves and creamy yellow flowers in autumn.”
Other favourites of Diana’s are Penstemon ‘Alice Hindley’ and P. heterophyllus ‘Heavenly Blue’, which can be found in the Cool Garden designed by Jo Thompson.
Forever part of RHS Garden Rosemoor
Catherine Venn, Diana Goodacre and Claire Rady during the award ceremony
“Time has flown – it doesn’t feel that long!” said Diana, who didn’t expect the recognision at all. “It was a surprise, and I was very grateful for it, but I get a lot from volunteering at RHS Garden Rosemoor and I don’t expect anything else. For me, spending time in this garden is already a privilege.”
