About the Scheme:
The Historic & Botanic Garden Bursary Scheme (HBGBS) offers a variety of opportunities: Practical garden placements, staff exchanges, staff secondments, Master Classes and help to attend other training events. We tailor our support to meet the individual training needs of gardeners around the UK.
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Trainee Garden Placements
Applicants must have experience of working in the land based sector and have developed relevant skills at the National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) level 2 or above (England, Wales and Northern Ireland) or at the Scottish Vocational Qualification (SVQ) level 5 or above, or have evidence of equivalent achievement.
The application process for September 2008 placements opportunities is now closed. New pacements will be advertised in April 2009. See Placements.
If your garden is interested in hosting a placement to a trainee under this Scheme, please contact Fiona Dennis, Scheme Co-ordinator.
HBGBS currently have placements at the following gardens:
Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens,Audley End Gardens, Birmingham Botanical Gardens, Branklyn Garden, Chelsea Physic Garden, Harewood House, Highgrove House, National Botanic Garden of Wales, Osborne House, Powis Castle, Reaseheath College Gardens, Rowallane Garden, Tregothnan Gardens, Wentworth Castle
(Sept.2007 - Aug.08)
The next round of host gardens are listed under Placements. Please note the closing date for applications for September has now passed.
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Staff Secondments and Exchanges
The Historic and Botanic Garden Bursary Scheme also provides funding to enable gardeners to spend a practical period at another garden in the UK. The purpose of the secondment is to experience a specific practical skill or set of skills that the host garden is able to share. The arrangements should be organised by yourself in discussion with the partner garden and you should also be prepared to welcome a gardener in return at your garden. Funding is applied for directly from the HBGBS and it is important to contact us in advance of any proposed visit. We can also provide details of other gardens if you are looking for a suitable garden to stay with.
Funding is offered in response to the expected expense of the travel and accomadation costs. Submission of receipts is expected with the completed Evaluation Form at the end of the secondment.
Guidelines for staff wishing to participate in an practical secondment:
•Each visit must have a minimum duration of one week. The maximum duration for a secondment is one month.
•The skills that you are interested in acquiring must be an integral part of the gardening programme at the host garden.
•All secondments must be agreed in writing between all parties.
•Application must be made before any expenses are incurred.
•All staff undertaking a secondment must complete an Evaluation Form at the end of their secondment (see below).
For further information please contact Scheme Coordinator Fiona Dennis
For further information please contact Scheme Co-ordinator, Fiona Dennis: fiona.dennis@english-heritage.org.uk Tel: 01737 244 664 Fax: 01737 245 067
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Master Classes
The HBGBS run a series of Master Classes aimed at gardeners looking to strengthen their existing skills and extend their portfolio. Each course has a registration fee of £50.00 only. Each course is run in five different regions of the UK in order to offer the opportunity to as many gardeners as possible, reducing the time and money spent in travelling to each event. The HBGBS may also be able to help to fund your travel expenses.
Current courses are Basic Nomenclature and Plant Identification, Garden Archaeology, Climate Change and the Garden.
The courses have limited numbers and application is on a first come first served basis. See Latest News for details of each series of Master Classes as they become available.
All HBGBS partnership organisations and placement providers are fully committed to equal opportunities.
Scheme Co-ordinator: 
Fiona Dennis is the Bursary Scheme Co-ordinator and has worked in horticulture for twenty years. Following training at Merrist Wood Agricultural College she began her career in the Royal Parks at Hyde Park as a grade 2 Gardener. Fiona moved on to become the Nursery Technician at Writtle College in Essex. This was followed by a spell working as a Field Technician managing trials for evening primrose and borage production. In 1989 Fiona became Propagator in the Alpine and Herbaceous Department at the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew during which time she achieved her RHS Master of Horticulture. Developing her interest in conservation she undertook an MSC in the Conservation and Utilisation of Crop Genetic Diversity at Birmingham University. Fiona became Project Officer at Botanic Gardens Conservation International working with botanic gardens worldwide. After five years of international work she came back to work full-time in the UK with the City of London as Technical Officer based at Hampstead Heath. In her previous post she was both lecturer and Advisor at the Royal Horticultural Society Garden Wisley.
