Kate Burtonwood: ‘I Would Love To See Horticulturists Treated With More Value’

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After 15 years in a different profession, Kate Burtonwood embarked on a career transformation, retraining in Botanical Horticulture at the University of Oxford Botanic Garden.

Her experience there and time spent learning under Andrea Brunsendorf at London’s Inner Temple Garden, shaped her into a skilled Horticulturist.

Kate’s work has taken her to prestigious locations like Lord Heseltine’s private estate Thenford – and various gardens in Oxford and the Cotswolds.

In this interview, we delve into Kate Burtonwood’s inspiring journey, her blog and the creation of The Cultivated Garden, and the insights she’s gained over the years in this ever-evolving field.

Watch the full chat with Kate here on YouTube:

Please note that the imagery used in this interview has been provided with permission from Kate Burtonwood.

what sparked your passion for horticulture and how Did that lead to you becoming a gardener?

“Ultimately it really was a desire to be outside and to have a job that was meaningful and connected in some way to nature,” Kate begins.

“Whilst doing gardening in an ornamental context isn’t actually the same as conservation work, I believe you can still feel that responsibility to working ethically and sustainably within the environment to try and create something that boosts and helps nature in a garden.

“So, having put that together, it seemed like a natural step to go into a practical gardening role for me.”

you transitioned from 15 years of working at a desk to horticulture. what was the main motivation behind that?

“I came to realise after that quite long length of time that I just wasn’t happy in an office,” she explains.

“I didn’t like staying inside all day and I realised that I’d rather be out in the rain, even if it was a bit sort of muddy and cold, than sat at my desk. Even now my team laugh at me for being messy outside. I just love not having to really care about that sort of thing anymore.”

Can you explain a little about your role as head gardener at Trinity College?

“It’s a really varied role and ironically, I’m not actually out in the garden all the time!” jokes Kate.

“I do have quite a lot of planning and admin work to do, but I think given my background in office work I can manage that, and it’s a trade-off for getting the time outside.

“I manage a team here. I have three gardeners who work here, some of whom have been here for a long time, one of whom came to us as an apprentice. Working together with them in the gardens is great.

“Trinity College has an amazing, historic set of gardens. This is a place where there are areas which have been gardened since the 13th century. What we do is provide a green space for those who are working or studying here to get away from the fast-paced nature of the rest of their lives. It’s vital, really.”

you’ve got your own blog, ‘The cultivated Gardener’. Can you elaborate on the meaning behind that?

“I just love communicating to people about gardening and a blog is a really lovely way to do it because you can simply put information out there and people can find it when they want it – there’s so much freedom that comes with it.

“I guess I wanted to give a flavour of what I do as a professional gardener and how I got where I am, whilst also giving practical advice to people about gardening as well.

“People really love receiving gardening tips. We always want information about gardens. I love that we are a nation of gardeners and that it is such a keen interest for so many people living in the UK.”

What role do you believe a gardener plays in kind of the larger context of environmental stewardship and sustainability?

“I think we’re absolutely vital in that context,” she states.

“Unfortunately, I also think we’re really underrated and that’s very sad, as we often lose in favour of building contractors and architects who might not put the gardens at the front of a space.

“There’s some really amazing practitioners in gardening and landscape design who have so much to give in terms of the environmental outlook of what a piece of land can be, what it can provide and how we can build sustainability into design in cities and homes.

“I think stewardship is a really important word to use and I think it should replace garden maintenance, which gives off the idea that what we are doing is some kind of routine thing which just involves a few tools.

“Stewardship gives more of a sense of caring, understanding and creating a green space. I think gardeners should be at the front of that.”

what’s next for you? Do you have any upcoming projects with trinity College Gardens?

“We have a really big project coming up here to reinstate our main border area,” shares Kate.

“We’ve had quite a lot of building work done on the site over the last few years and there’s been a lot of changes already, but our main border area is about 800-900m² and needs amending.

“It’s going to be quite an iconic project because of where it is and what we’re doing with it, so watch this space for Trinity Gardens in 2025!”