Christopher Lloyd Bursary
Fergus Garrett and the Great Dixter Charitable Trust see the Christopher Lloyd Bursary as a way of giving something back to the horticultural world by creating opportunities for trainee or young gardeners to widen their experience and gain inspiration from experts in the UK or abroad by traveling to, and/or learning in, horticulturally interesting places, attending courses and conferences and studying plants in the wild.
Nurseries who attend the Great Dixter Plant Fairs support the fund by giving 10% of their takings.
Applications are invited for up to a maximum of £1,500 with preference being given to applicants who might struggle to find funding from established organisations or institutes (Kew or Wisley applicants should first approach their bursary providers). Applications with connections to the style of gardening and ethos of Great Dixter are preferred.
In this section:
How to apply:
For travel, please provide a CV and a description of your trip, including planned expenditure. We would also like to know where else you have applied and how much of the trip you plan to fund yourself.
Successful applicants will be required to write about their experience within a month of their return. This could be in the form of a written report, a blog, an Instagram feed, or other means but ideally something that can be shared on Dixter’s social media or website! They may also be asked to come and give a short talk to Great Dixter staff and Friends.
For training, please provide details of the course or conference you wish to attend, potential expenditure (including travel) and a short explanation of how the training will benefit you.
Successful applicants will be asked to send in a photo of themselves along with a brief paragraph about their training for our website.
To discuss the application process further or to apply please email: [email protected]
Deadlines for applications during the year are 1st April and 1st October. Applications will only be considered at these times.
Applicants will be informed of the decisions within two weeks of the deadlines. Only applications from EU residents are accepted.
Danielle Miller- Brazil, June 2025
Danielle will join a research project at the Biodiversity Research Institute (IPBio) in the Amazon rainforest focused on bioluminescent mushrooms, under the guidance of Professor Cassius Stevani from the University of São Paulo. The Amazon rainforest, particularly the Iporanga region, boasts an astonishing diversity of bioluminescent mushrooms, with IPBio leading the efforts in research, conservation, and sustainable economic development. “My role in this project will encompass various aspects, including field research, lab work, taxonomy, and weekly night-time visits to the rainforest.”
Maria Torrente Novoa -New Zealand, January 2025
This project will take place in New Zealand, looking at native alpines growing in the North and South
Island in wild locations and botanical/private gardens. The project’s main aim is to collect
photographic and written data on growing conditions and cultivation to duplicate those conditions in Scotland.
This is a great opportunity to establish new links with other botanical gardens and private collectors for future material exchange, and to compare my experience working at Kevock Garden Plants Nursery and studying at RBGE with other botanical gardens and nurseries.
Elliot Chandler- Turkey, October 2024- £500
“I am applying for this bursary in order to cover part of the cost of joining an eight-day botanical trip to the Pontic Alps of north-east Turkey in October 2024, organised and run by the International Dendrology Society (IDS).
I am early in my career as a gardener but I already have a passion for trees and woody plants, I am hugely interested in woodland gardening and plant conservation, as well as nature and the environment, things which complement each other very well. This IDS tour of the colchic forests in north-east Turkey is a huge opportunity for me to learn from knowledgeable people and study fascinating plants in the wild, including many which are of great importance to horticulture in the UK, especially through the lens of climate change. I am incredibly excited to have this chance to see such rare and precious habitats which are unfortunately at risk of being lost altogether.”
Theo Charnley-Japan May 2024- £850
“I am a garden designer based in London where I work to improve biodiversity and ecology across both private and public spaces.
I have always admired Japanese gardens not only for the craftsmanship and attention to detail, but also the restraint and level of control which is often so beautifully demonstrated. Last year when I was working at Chelsea Flower Show I saw a team of Japanese gardeners meticulously brushing moss for hours on end and awestruck, realised just how much I stand to learn from their culture and work ethic.
The trip is a 5 day training program in Kyoto created by landscape firm Ueyokato to teach Japanese gardening techniques to future generations. It consists of a series of lectures, site visits and workshops covering a range of topics from tree pruning, to stone arrangements to waterfall techniques.
They will also break down Kyoto’s unique garden aesthetic by looking at the relationship between its gardens and environment, and a key aim for me is to understand how Japanese gardens, particularly in Kyoto, emulate nature and natural environments to create spaces that are truly restorative.”
You can read Theo’s report about his trip here.
Alice Minney- UK Beth Chatto Symposium 2024- £672.69
“I am a gardener, designer and artist in London. My creative practice looks at how plants can bring connection to ourselves, each other and non-humans. As well as highlighting the importance of Gardeners and gardening in society. I have volunteered at Beth Chatto’s many times to learn from the incredible team there so I am very excited to have the opportunity to attend the Symposium and learn from the knowledge brought to that space.”
Olivia Lockyear, Colombia, November 2023– £500
“In this project, I set out to understand what makes tropical dry forest so unique and how
horticulture can assist with reforestation efforts of this precious and neglected habitat. What
can the role of botanical horticulture play in ecosystem restoration?”
Olivia spent time volunteering at the Botanic Garden in Cartagena with the horticulture and seed bank teams, as well as visiting local habitats.
Reports of her time can be read here and here.
Lawrence Weston- USA August/ September 2023- £500
Lawrence (pictured right) who is a trainee at RHS Rosemoor visited North East USA to look at established urban food growing projects to see how these ideas could be used in UK cities to make them more self-sufficient. Read his report here
Liam McPherson – RHS Level 2 -September 2022-23- £500
Liam started working in horticulture in 2021 after a change of career from project management in the charity sector. After a year of volunteering at Horatio’s Garden in London, he started a 12-month part-time traineeship in Sep 2022 as part of the Working and Retraining as a Gardener Scheme (WRAGS) through the WFGA.
He does this alongside working in private gardens and studying for RHS Level 2 at Capel Manor College. The traineeship gives time to learn about growing and maintaining a beautiful garden to a high horticultural standard, which provides a therapeutic space for the benefit of patients with spinal injuries and their families.
Selina Tan – Bhutan 2023- £250
In April 2023 Selina (pictured right) went on a 2-week trip to Bhutan with Kew apprentice Zoe Roberts.
They spent the first week at the Royal Botanic Gardens Serithang and the second botanising in the mountains of the Jigme Dorji National Park. You can read Selina’s report here.
Previous awards
- Zoe Roberts – Bhutan 2023- £250
- Alastair Coffey- St Helena – 2023 £250
- Adam Sultan- University Fees UK 2023 (Writtle) – £500
- Emma Leaper- New Zealand 2022 – £250
- Cecily Eltringham- Hawaii May 2022- £300
- Consuelo Franco- Australia June 2022- £300
- Holly McQuillan – South Africa 2022- £500
- Jess Orr: Beth Chatto Symposia – September 2022- £120
- Louise Hughes- UK (Hilldrop)- June 2022- £400
- Alice Whiting, Eden Project Placement, October 2021, £1000
- Sharon Horder, Greek Garden Design Course, October 2021, £200
- Jo Wilson, Garden Design Course, August 2020, £500
- Daniel Monge, Hawaii February 2020, £150
- Michael Wachter, Slovenia, May 2018, £300
- Lisa Rue, Slovenia, May 2018, £160.
- Rosie Anderson, Slovenia May 2018, £300.
- Jamie McCormick, Himalayas, August 2017, £600
- Eve Halliday, USA, July 2017, £600
- Josh Taylor, RHS level 2 course, June 2017, £600
- David Bull, USA, May 2017, £400
- Christina Clowser, Italy, April 2017, £400
- Harry Baldwin, USA, April 2017, £200
- Rebecca Lane, Alhambra and Sierra Nevada, April 2017, £600 (shown right)
- Olivia Steed- Munden, USA, April 2017, £200
- Sean Harkin, USA, Autumn 2012, £500
- Hannah Wilson, Vietnam, October 2011, £1500
