Heritage Horticultural Sector review
It is clear that there are shortages of skilled manpower with the specialised horticultural skill set ( as evidenced on Ballard, P, 2004, The Restoration and Maintenance of Historic Gardens, and Collins, EJT, Evans, P, and Morison, P, 2004, ‘English Rural Crafts, Today and Tomorrow’, in Collins, EJT, (ed) 2004 Crafts in the English Countryside).
Whilst attempts have been made to address this, the results have been limited both in number and geography ( eg National Trust and Royal Horticultural Society Apprenticeship scheme and the Historic and Botanic Garden Bursary Scheme).
With the advent of the new RHS level 2 practical qualification a greater opportunity is presented for proficiency to be championed. In the case of the Heritage Horticultural Skills Scheme we are developing further specialist modules with specific heritage reference as well as delivering the training within a heritage context. These specialist heritage modules will be the legacy of the scheme to continue supporting the heritage horticulture sector’s aim for excellence.
