Background Story.

Firstly I must thank the Heritage lottery fund and the HistoricBotanic Garden Bursary Scheme or 'HBGBs' for providing financial support during my placement at Great Dixter.

Hello my name is Ed Alderman and this is my journey in becoming the new Christopher Lloyd Scholar at Great Dixter.

I grew up on a tenant farm in Buckinghamshire, before moving to a Community Farm in the Cotswold water park. I really enjoyed the farming environment, particularly the duties of a shepherd. I studied Countryside management at Cirencester's Heritage Academy with work experience with the National Trust, Westonbirt Arboretum and Gloucestershire & Wiltshire wildlife trusts. On completion of my education I was offered a job at the college to work on the countryside team as a support technician.

I was a keen cricketer and studied sports turf management with the IOG, I became groundsman of Cirencester cricket club tending 25 wickets in my spare time. I started working part time for a company called gardening naturally and became fascinated by biological controls and organic gardening. With my knowledge of turf care I was given work at Barnsley House former home of Rosemary Verey. This was a life changing experience and Barnsley House is the reason I fell in love with gardening and our historic gardens. I worked for two years part time and four years as a full time gardener. In the last three years I had responsibility of Rosemary Verey's Potager kitchen garden, grew produce for the hotel, started a commercial flock of laying hens and began growing stock for sale in a small selling yard. It was through Mrs Verey's writing and a You-Tube video I discovered Christopher Lloyd and Great Dixter. I was instantly blown away by my first visit to Dixter and knew this is a place I must work at. So here we are, I am now 24 and with the help of the HBGB's my dream is a reality and I would like to share my experiences.

I would like to thank Richard Gatenby for being a wonderful mentor and for all his encouragement at Barnsley. I look forward to working with Fergus Garrett and the gardening team at Dixter. 

Unusual things about me: I have always gardened with a pink trug, I competed in a national street dancing competition and was head coach of a ladies rugby team.