2017 Working in partnership Ann Steele NTS

Slides and pdf from the PlantNetwork Annual Conference 26th and 27th April 2017 ‘Connecting gardens; engaging people’ Held at The Botanic Cottage, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Ann Steele, Head of Heritage Gardening, National Trust for Scotland

Ann began her gardening career as a volunteer with the National Trust for Scotland at Inverewe Garden. She went on to study at Askham Bryan College, York and Cambridge University Botanic Garden. After a spell of nursery work she returned to the Trust to work at Arduaine Garden, Argyll on its acquisition by the charity.

She became a Gardens Adviser for the Trust in 1996 – a post she held until recently. In that post she worked with most of the Trust’s gardens at different times, though with a general focus in the west; this led to her becoming the Trust’s plant health and biosecurity lead, following outbreaks of Phytophthora ramorum and P. kernoviae in some gardens there. Following a recent restructure in the organisation Ann was appointed to a new senior role – Head of Heritage Gardening (policy) - in November 2016.