Inspiring The Next Generation: Gary Long

You’re either meant to be a gardener or you’re not.

The gardening as a career is hard work and it’s quite often a thankless task. Society doesn’t value gardeners; introduce yourself as a gardener and so often see people fight the urge to commiserate with you and tell you that things will work out better in the future. Thank you for the concern but this is what I should be doing with my life.

Nurturing gardeners against a background of challenges, from low incomes to sometimes hostile contempt from those outside the gardening world, isn’t easy. I couldn’t in all honesty recommend a career in horticulture to a stranger. Gardeners are brought together by a common bond of being connected with plants and gardens, and if that connection isn’t there then horticulture can be a very challenging career.

Champions

There are some incredible champions of gardeners, especially young gardeners finding their place in the world.

Almost without exception these are selfless people, not driven by ego and the need to look good to their peers. Instead use their own successes to encourage others to do well.

Talk to these people about the gardeners they’ve helped over the years and they glow with pride. They’ll tell you about gardeners who came to them as nervous and shy youngsters but are now running businesses, managing gardens and otherwise doing great things in the horticultural community. I can only hope to one day feel that pride myself.

Introducing Gary Long

I met Gary Long about 10 years ago, around the time when I was being made redundant by my former employers.

Gary is the Head Gardener of Trewithen, a fine Cornish garden filled with a fabulous collection of trees and shrubs. Trewithen is an International Camellia Society ‘Garden Of Excellence’, recognised for its large collection of camellias maintained to a very high standard, and is proud of its collection of Champion Trees. These are the tallest trees or the trees with the greatest girth of any given species, either in the county (Cornwall, Devon, Somerset etc), the country (England, Scotland, Wales etc) or overall champion level. Gary is always happy to talk about his Champion Trees!

Indeed Gary Long is an excellent ambassador for his garden. He talks with great passion and excitement about every tree and shrub under his care, and despite being a self-professed ‘woodies man’ he is slowly coming around to herbaceous plants and bulbs too. His work takes him far and wide, including on two trips to China with the International Camellia Society, and he is a well-respected figure among British gardeners who have been lucky to meet him.

Gardeners Of All Ages

Gary is the lynchpin of the Cornwall Professional Gardeners Group (CPGG), an informal group that meets to learn and share ideas several times a year. From practical training to formal lectures and everything in between, the CPGG is a well supported organisation. Its aim is to bring everyone together, building both professional relationships and personal friendships, in addition to encouraging the development of new skills and knowledge.

I’ve had insight into just how much time and effort goes into running something like this. Thanks not only to Gary’s efforts but also the kindness of his employers, for not only allowing but encouraging this work, Trewithen has become the unofficial hub for professional horticulture in the Cornwall.

Trewithen often welcomes horticulturists (the CPGG isn’t just for gardeners but anyone involved in professional horticulture) for meetings in its function room; we’re always treated to a look around the garden too.

Gary has supported a great number of gardeners over the years. Students and apprentices leave Trewithen with his passion for horticulture and the skills to on to build successful careers. Gary is blessed with a rare talent for finding someone’s strengths, encouraging them to push themselves to succeed. There are plenty of egos in professional horticulture, people driven by the need to make themselves look good, but also people who are selfless and want others to succeed.

There’s enough room for everyone to be the best they can. Britain needs more skilled and enthusiastic gardeners to create and nurture our beautiful gardens, and I’m certain this is true in the US and elsewhere too. We need more plant experts, more thinking gardeners, more ambitious gardeners who want to push for every higher standards.

We need people willing to nurture the skills and enthusiasm of others.

And In Conclusion

I could list Gary’s achievements at Trewithen.

I could tell you how grateful I am for the support he has given me over the years.

I could tell you how much I admire Gary, and others like him who go out of their way to nurture young gardeners. I was young once, many years ago, and gardeners like Gary challenged me and encouraged me as I started my gardening journey. I was extraordinarily lucky to receive  their guidance and support.

But instead I will leave the closing words to Gary’s current apprentice, Millie.

“I was so fortunate to join the Trewithen team as an apprentice. Gary has taught me a whole range of skills and freely shared his knowledge with me.

Just two months into my apprenticeship Gary asked me to speak at an event he was attending. I felt like I was being thrown in at the deep end, having only worked in horticulture for a short period of time. I was very nervous but it went well, and I’m finding it much easier to talk to groups now. I’m so grateful to Gary for helping me find my confidence.

Gary gave me the job of developing Trewithen’s walled garden. He helped me develop my ideas into planting plans and turn my design into reality. It’s been amazing to see this project develop, and the responsibility has driven my passion for horticulture.

I’m incredibly lucky to work with someone so incredibly helpful, funny and kind.”