A year with the RHS 2016 Glorious foliage and texture in June at RHS Garden Wisley. 22 Celebrating success RHS President Sir Nicholas Bacon reflects on a selection of 2016 highlights As I move into my fourth year as RHS In Greater Manchester, the realisation President, I am delighted by the progress of the Society’s newest garden, RHS made by the Society, under the expert Garden Bridgewater, took a significant guidance of the Director General, Sue Biggs, step forward with the submission of a and our Council. We have been able to effect planning application that will be the change on many fronts, and that illustrates biggest gardening project in Europe. the dedication and talent we have within the We also recruited five high-profile Society. I consider myself incredibly fortunate ambassadors to take the horticultural to be President at this exciting time. message to new and diverse audiences I am glad to report that during 2016/17 (our and are delighted to have the support of financial year runs from 1 Feb 2016 to 31 Jan our new RHS Ambassadors: Carol Klein, 2017) a range of RHS developments moved nursery woman and television presenter; from the planning to the implementation broadcaster Baroness Floella Benjamin; phase. Additionally, we honoured the Queen’s herb expert Jekka McVicar; Professor Nigel 90th birthday at the RHS Chelsea Flower Dunnett, urban landscape pioneer; and Show in May with two magnificent floral ‘If anyone ever plantsman Jamie Butterworth. arches and a photographic record of Her Community gardening was very much Majesty’s many visits to the show. doubted the power highlighted. The Mayor of London, Sadiq We are ambitious, and much progress has of gardening to Khan, joined the RHS and residents of been made with the Ornamental Horticulture act as a catalyst Angell Town estate in Brixton to mark the Roundtable Group, chaired by our Director opening of a garden created in partnership General. This group of organisations from for inclusion, they with the RHS. This really was a great across the industry held the initial Health and should speak example of how gardening can unite a Horticulture Conference at the RHS Hampton community that has suffered violence Court Palace Flower Show in July, which brought to the residents and isolation. If anyone ever doubted together health and public policy departments, of the Angell the power of gardening to act as a catalyst and a cross-section from the industry, for the for inclusion, they should speak with the first time, including former CEO of the NHS, Town estate.’ residents of the Angell Town estate. Lord Crisp. We all know ‘instinctively’ that gardening is good for our health. At last we Impressive figure and others are beginning to translate that Our four RHS Gardens reached a significant ‘instinct’ into evidence that will allow the NHS milestone when they welcomed their two millionth to treat patients in a more holistic manner. visitor. Quite rightly, staff at all the gardens were immensely proud. Promoting horticultural careers The RHS Campaign for School Gardening celebrated In 2013, the horticulture sector delivered the its 30,000th member. Ten years ago, at the launch of Horticulture Matters report which drew attention the campaign, such a success story could never have to a looming green-skills crisis threatening the long- been imagined. To put that number into context, it term sustainability of UK horticulture. We vowed to means that 67 percent of all primary schools and do all we could to highlight the many highly skilled 77 percent of secondary schools across the UK are and valuable career opportunities within the sector. now using our free online resources to inspire The Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group has gardening activities with their pupils. done much to change the perception of gardening Despite the many successes enjoyed over the past and position it as a viable career choice for the most year, we at the RHS can say with total confidence able in our society and offering career opportunities that we will not rest on our laurels and will continue for people of all skill levels. to improve our performance. And it appears my We completed this work last year with ‘Green Plan It’, confidence in the RHS is shared by Government. a new initiative with UK secondary schools. It involves Sue Biggs was awarded CBE in recognition of her teams of young people working with professional services to horticulture and mentors on projects to design green space within the environment. their school or community. The project ran in eight What a truly positive end UK cities and helped 774 children understand the to my review of 2016/17. benefits of plants and gardening generally, and horticulture specifically, as a great potential career. Sir Nicholas Bacon, RHS President 3 Plans are becoming reality RHS Director General Sue Biggs on the year ahead As part of the commitment the RHS made also provides information on the plants we to our members and supporters – to could grow to meet the challenge of increase the reach and breadth of our work climate change in our local area. This and change the future of horticulture – we incredibly important piece of work places are moving many projects from the horticultural science where it should be – at planning to the development phase. These the very centre of gardening. Helping the projects are being delivered as part of a UK’s gardeners understand more about the £160 million investment the RHS is making changing world around them is at its heart. in UK horticulture over the next decade. Addressing social and environmental This is being funded by £60 million from the challenges is a thread running throughout RHS, a further £60 million made from our our show activity in 2017. At the RHS operating surplus over 10 years and Chelsea Flower Show, the RHS ‘Greening £40 million from your support. Grey Britain Garden’ highlighted the many Throughout 2016 we worked extremely positive benefits that plants and gardens hard to stage the first RHS Chatsworth provide, over and above the aesthetic, such Flower Show (7–11 June 2017). Although ‘RHS Garden as capturing air pollutants and reducing heavy rain and high winds caused traffic Bridgewater will urban flooding. At the inaugural RHS challenges on the first members day, I am Chatsworth Flower Show we unveiled the pleased to say it was overall a great success breathe new life ‘RHS Garden for a Changing Climate’ with with several floral exhibitors even into the historic two versions of a small suburban plot. One completely selling out of plants. Set in the based on the current climate, the other stunning grounds of the Chatsworth Estate, grounds of Worsley providing a glimpse into the future. And at Derbyshire, the show’s theme of ‘Design New Hall in the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show, Revolutionaries’ celebrated the spirit of the Gardens for a Changing World category horticultural ‘shining lights’ such as Joseph Salford’. raised awareness of the UK’s declining Paxton. It is fitting that the first Chatsworth wildlife highlighting how gardens can again Flower Show should honour those who have be guardians of our valuable wildlife. broken new ground, bent more than a few horticultural rules, set new standards and achieved Behind the scenes the seemingly unachievable. In the corridors of power, the Ornamental Horticulture Roundtable Group, made up of the Moving in the right direction country’s major horticultural bodies and which I have The development of RHS Garden Bridgewater, the the pleasure of chairing, continues to build bridges charity’s newest garden, is moving steadily along. with politicians, policy-makers and key influencers. Very much like a swan on a lake, the majesty of the This unseen and generally unheralded work is vital if movement above the waterline is underpinned by UK horticulture is to achieve its ambitions, including unseen – but crucial – work to ensure we keep moving the recruitment of a highly educated, motivated and in the right direction at the right pace. The garden, sustainable workforce. This year we aim to speak to which will breathe new life into the historic grounds more MPs and Ministers as the horticulture sector, of Worsley New Hall in Salford, will be a major step like most other industries in the UK economy, towards the RHS making good on our promise to help wrestles with the opportunities and threats that our more people, from more communities, to have the withdrawal from the EU presents. opportunity to experience the many life-enhancing We have a lot of important work to do, but I am benefits of plants and gardens. incredibly excited about what we can achieve But while our capital activity gathers pace, our together in 2017/18. These are exciting times for intellectual activity is also moving forward. This the RHS and UK horticulture generally. year RHS scientists have developed a report that With your continued support, patience and confronts what is perhaps one of the greatest understanding the RHS will be a much stronger, more threats facing UK horticulture: climate change. innovative and more dynamic charity. You encourage The much-anticipated Gardening in a Changing us to be better, brighter and more courageous and for Climate report, launched in April 2017, looks at the that I am truly grateful. impact climate change is already having on gardening and gardeners and the practical steps we can take to survive and thrive in a changing world. It Sue Biggs, RHS Director General 4 Designer Tom Stuart-Smith’s vision of RHS Garden Bridgewater. Community planting event in Cornwall supported RHS ‘Greening Grey Britain Garden’ by the RHS Community Outreach team.