Show Garden Launch for RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2024 by Sparsholt College
‘Plants, Routes & Branches’ is the title of the project to celebrate the part the county of Hampshire and Sparsholt college has played in bringing new plants into the industry, the learning and knowledge people have gained as they prepare for a professional career in the wide ranging aspects of Horticulture.
Students and staff from Sparsholt College were joined by members of the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation team to celebrate the launch of the garden. The project team, made up of students, staff and supporters from the horticultural industry, unveiled the design to a distinguished audience of Industry Professionals, Sparsholt College Alumni and the Media. Guests gathered at the college’s Hampshire Rural Business Centre to meet the enthusiastic student team, sharing their experiences, give support and to wish them the best of luck for the project.
Sparsholt College celebrates 125 years of Horticultural training in September 2024. Sparsholt College Group which includes Sparsholt College, Andover College and University Centre Sparsholt started in Old Basing, Basingstoke in 1899 as the Hampshire Farm Institute. Moving to Sparsholt village near Winchester in 1912, the college and its students have been influential in Horticulture over the years and will continue to do so.
The garden has been designed by Sparsholt’s multiple medal winning team including Chris Bird and Lucy Lewis will explore the history of plant introductions from Hampshire whilst celebrating the impact of influential horticulturists and the role the college has played in their professional growth.
Lucy Lewis told GardenForum: “Most importantly, the garden will look to the future generations of horticulturists, exploring the numerous and exciting career routes they may follow. For this reason, it just seemed such a natural fit for us to work with the Colegrave Seabrook Foundation on the project. They have supported a number of our students over the years and we are really pleased to be working with them on this exciting project involving a number of our City and Guilds Level 3 students.”
The colleges horticulture team are encouraging those with a link to horticulture at Sparsholt college to share their stories, experience and images with us for the project. Please send them to Hortstories@sparsholt.ac.uk