Green-fingered Primary ITO graduate wins horticulture award

Meg, 27, is a horticulturalist at Auckland City Council Botanic Gardens. Covering sixty-four hectares of gardens and native forest in Manurewa, the gardens have a distinctive South Pacific focus. She looks after different areas including the conifer collection and is part of a team carrying out daily tasks to keep the gardens looking their best.

She entered the Young Amenity Horticulturalist competition to challenge herself and learn more about leadership. The competitors put their skills to the test on a variety of theory and practical modules including public speaking, business case development, irrigation, and plant, weed, and pest identification.

Meg was thrilled to be announced as the winner.

She will now compete against the other sector finalists in the national Young Horticulturalist of the Year competition in November.

Meg (centre) with fellow finalists. Credit: Mike Walen

Meg has worked full-time at the Auckland Botanic Gardens since 2023. She enjoyed biology at school and was encouraged to study at university. In her third year she completed a plant diversity paper and was told about summer roles at the gardens.

“I spent three months there over summer just before Covid and it made me realise this was the career for me. In horticulture, you never stop learning.”

She was keen to do an apprenticeship, but Covid lockdowns put that plan on hold. She ventured into the conservation space, while keeping an eye on opportunities at the gardens. In 2023 she returned to Auckland Botanic Gardens and signed up to a New Zealand Apprenticeship in Horticulture Services (Amenity) – Level 4, through Primary ITO.

Coming from an academic background, she found the apprenticeship very achievable.

“I found the workload very manageable and learned a lot. It's a course where you get out what you put into it. I was so lucky to be surrounded by people with a wealth of knowledge who were willing to share it.”

Meg recommends the apprenticeship.

As an apprentice she rotated around different areas of the garden, learning from experienced staff and gaining a deeper appreciation of gardens like the South African plant collection.

Meg pruning Muehlenbeckia complexa at Auckland Botanic Gardens

Primary ITO Training Adviser Charlie Peterson supported Meg through her training. He wasn’t surprised to see her recognised with the Young Amenity Horticulturalist Award.

“She is passionate about the industry, and it was a real pleasure to support through her training. Meg is a talented, proactive gardener, and I’m looking forward to seeing where her career takes her next.”

Towards the end of her training, Meg applied to take part in a nine-month internship at the prestigious Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania, United States. Every year, ten aspiring gardeners and horticultural experts travel to study at Longwood as interns. Meg worked in three areas, learning about outdoor landscapes, conservatories, and land stewardship and ecology.

Meg took the opportunity to ask lots of questions around garden design, plant species and how the gardens progress seasonally. She returned home in May.

Meg pruning and dead wooding a bonsai in the Longwood Gardens collection

Back at the Auckland Botanic Gardens, Meg loves working outside as a horticulturist and creating spaces for visitors to enjoy.

“Working outside is so good for physical and mental health. I love working with plants and seeing how they change with the season. I also love that my work is accessible by everyone.”

Meg is keen to keep learning, with the goal of eventually stepping into a curatorial role designing and looking after specialised plant collections.

“One day I would love to work in the South Island and experience more of the four seasons in a garden. I’m also keen to travel to the UK to visit the Horticultural Society Gardens and catch up with some of the interns from Longwood Gardens.”

Find information on the Amenity Horticulture training options on our website here.