Career in full flowe rfor rising star of horticulture

As a child helping her mum propagate plants in the family greenhouse, Elizabeth could not have imagined that less than 30 years later she would be in charge of one of the country's most important plant collections.

She has just taken over as curator of the Royal Horticultural Society's Harlow Carr Gardens near Harrogate, from Matthew Wilson.

"I feel very privileged," says Elizabeth who is no stranger to Harlow Carr, having worked there for the last six years.

"What we are doing here is really long term; what we are creating is for future generations." Elizabeth is helping to implement Harlow Carr's masterplan, and she is more than aware of the responsibility that brings.

At 34, she is the RHS's youngest curator and the only female to hold the position in its history,

and she takes over at an exciting time for Harlow

Carr.

Not only is the garden celebrating its 60th anniversary, this year sees the opening of the new Alpine House and the Bramall Learning Centre.

"We hope to increase the number of children coming here, learning about plants and being inspired, to rise from 3,000 at the moment to nearer 10,000 a year," says Elizabeth, who is keen that some of her passion for horticulture is passed on to future generations.

"It is a very exciting time to be here."

One of her main projects at the moment is overseeing the landscaping of the new Learning Centre to ensure the modern building blends into its surroundings.

"It is challenging, especially the drainage," she says with feeling. "Everything we do here is long-lasting, nothing is temporary."

Climate change is a big long-term challenge as a degree or so either way can have an impact on plant life.

Her promotion from garden manager means spending part of her time indoors, away from her beloved garden.

Although she admits to having a passion for shoes, Elizabeth looks very at home in her wellies and coat, and she has the presence of a woman who has found her perfect job. Although it might all easily have been very different.

Although she always had a love of nature and passion for horticulture it never really occurred to her that she could make a career out of it.

Instead she studied for a degree in business and Japanese – her father is a successful businessman.

She worked in commercial insurance after leaving Cardiff University, but it took her future husband, Matthew, to open her eyes.

Elizabeth laughs that their first date was at the National Trust property of Chartwell.

"I was waxing lyrical about planting and he said that I was obviously passionate about it so why didn't I try to do it as a career?

"I had never considered it. But I did want to do something that fulfilled me and I couldn't see any reason why not."

She started to look for places where she could volunteer as a gardener.

"I thought that I might go down the garden design route but then I felt that if I wasn't sure about the plants I was working with then I shouldn't be doing it."

The National Trust runs a careership scheme, similar to an apprenticeship, where horticulturists can learn their trade over a three-year period.

She managed to get a careership at Beningborough Hall near York, and also got the chance to go to agricultural college.

"I didn't know where it would lead, but I love learning about this field. In fact one of the best things is that you never stop learning."

That is one of the reasons she says she loves her job at Harlow Carr so much.

"The team here is highly talented and experienced; some of the gardeners have been here for more than 30 years; they are specialists in their field and have so much knowledge to pass on.

"Received wisdom is so important, as is learning from our mistakes.

"Having been here for six years I can naturally identify areas where we can improve and build on what's already there."

Elizabeth wants to create more cohesion in the garden.

"We need to provide contemplative areas for people who just want to enjoy the gardens, but also offer places that mothers and children are able to enjoy."

She admits that it is a balancing act ensuring that the garden is robust enough to cope with the 250,000 visitors a year who flock to Harlow Carr.

"We care passionately about the garden, but our aim ultimately is also to encourage people, especially the young, to come and support us."

You would have thought organising and caring for 58 acres of gardens and woodland would mean Elizabeth would have had enough of gardening by the time she gets home, but that's not the case.

She lives within five minutes of Harlow Carr and has spent the last 18 months developing her garden at home.

"It is like a small version of this," she laughs.

"I am in the process of putting in 250 metres of drainage as the soil was very heavy clay."

Husband Matthew, a police officer and Yorkshireman, is happy to let his wife run the garden.

"He likes sitting in it," she says. It would be a brave man to try to take over running the garden from a wife who is a horticulturist to Elizabeth's standards.

"I do get out of my wellies sometimes," she insists. But it is clear as she talks that her garden is her passion.

"I feel very emotional about horticulture," she admits. "In my own garden it is having that time to yourself where you can be totally immersed in something. There are so many factors to consider. I find it very relaxing. I have a huge passion for it. I have these memories of childhood and being in my garden can take me back there quite quickly."

She may be new to all the attention, and clearly feels happier in the garden than in front of the camera, but Elizabeth is not fazed by the prospect of representing the RHS, despite having some big wellies to fill.

Matthew Wilson was only at Harlow Carr for a couple of years but he was often on television including his own series, Landscape Man from Channel 4.

Elizabeth realises that the media work is part of the territory, but you get the feeling that it will never get in the way of her love of nature and of her beloved garden.