RHS Garden Harlow Carr: One of Yorkshire's top garden attractions announces new curator

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) named Fiona Slight to the role of curator at RHS Garden Harlow Carr, near Harrogate.

She will take over from Paul Cook this summer. He became curator in 2013 and is leaving the role to pursue personal endeavours.

Head of RHS Garden Harlow Carr Liz Thwaite said: “After an extensive search, Fiona’s passion for horticulture and vision for RHS Garden Harlow Carr left us in no doubt she is the best person to take on the role.

“Paul leaves an impressive legacy at RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Taking the garden to a new level, developing the woodland, streamside and alpine collections. With the RHS Harlow Carr team, he has created some of the most iconic plantings in any of the RHS gardens.”

Ms Slight brings a wealth of horticultural experience to the role and has most recently spent the last two-and-a-half years as garden manager at RHS Garden Harlow Carr managing the alpine, streamside, woodland and floral teams.

She said: “I am thrilled to be given the opportunity to take on the role of curator at RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Horticulture has been a lifelong passion, and it is an honour to work for the RHS and at Harlow Carr to carry on the great work that Paul Cook and the previous curators have achieved over the last 75 years.”

Ms Slight’s horticulture career started in 1989 as a 17-year-old trainee with the National Trust for Scotland at Belhaven House Garden, in Dunbar.

After completing her off-the-job training on the Isle of Arran at Brodick Castle, her diploma and HNC in Horticulture, and a year training at RHS Garden Wisley, she went on to work at The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh as a gardener in the herbaceous and rock department.