Rate Guaranteed

Arrival

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 Nov 2008 Dec 2008 Jan 2009 Feb 2009 Mar 2009 Apr 2009 May 2009 Jun 2009 Jul 2009 Aug 2009 Sep 2009 Oct 2009

From June 2008 Matthew will take up a new role with the RHS as Head of Gardens Creative Development. This role will see him working across all four RHS gardens in a creative capacity, helping to deliver increased visitor numbers, enhanced events programmes and interpretative content.

Matthew has joined Michael Heseltine and Roddy Llewellyn as regular garden columnist at Country Life.

Matthew’s book, New Gardening; How to Garden in a Changing Climate was awarded Practical Book of the Year 2007 by the Garden Writers Guild.

Matthew Wilson was appointed Head of Site and Curator at Harlow Carr in February 2004, having previously been the Curator of RHS Garden Hyde Hall for four years. Despite vowing not to follow the family tradition (his parents ran a nursery in a small village in Kent), Matthew has now become a respected voice within the horticultural field. He had tried several paths however before deciding on his true vocation, which included journalist, hotel manager and chef.

However it was during his time working with his father at a large historic garden in the south of England that Matthew’s interest in gardening was kindled, which then led to studies at Hadlow College. A childhood love of wildlife and the environment has remained a constant theme and has been translated into the management of the Gardens that Matthew has looked after.

During his time at RHS Garden Hyde Hall Matthew succeeded in transforming many areas of the garden dramatically. The success of the Dry Garden, finished in 2001 and irrigated purely by rainfall, pays tribute to his dedication and commitment to gardening in an environmentally friendly way.

At Harlow Carr he established a strong environmental ethos for the garden and led the development of a number of key projects and redesigned several important areas of the garden such as the Main Borders, Winter Walk and Streamside. During his four and a half year tenure visitor numbers rose from 130,00 to 220,00, with a significant increase in local membership recruitment.

Another important element for Matthew is working with the local community, schools and organizations to promote horticulture and the work of the RHS in the North of England. He has worked directly with local organizations such as Horticap and the Harrogate Parks Design Group, has led community gardening projects in Bradford and designed two courtyard gardens for the Yorkshire Oncology Centre at St James’ Hospital, Leeds.

He also lectures and teaches regularly on sustainable horticulture, planting design and wildlife and gardening.

Matthew contributes regularly to a number of publications both locally and nationally including the Daily Telegraph and The Guardian. Matthew has appeared on a number of terrestrial and satellite television programmes and local and national radio.

Matthew is a Trustee of the Lowther Castle & Gardens Trust (Cumbria), board member of the BBC’s Gardening Editorial Advisory Board, Board member and horticultural advisor to Horticap (Harrogate) and Patron of the Friends of Nidderdale Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.


2007

2006

2005

2004

2003

2001


JOURNALISM

BOOKS
2007

2005