Charles Gilchrist

charles4I started my apprenticeship training at the Chelsea Physic Garden in 1981 while studying for the R.H.S. General Examination in Horticulture, in which I achieved a first division pass. I then did the short term entrants course at the Royal Horticultural Society’s Garden at Wisley.

I began work as head gardener for a firm of international landscape architects in London before managing their maintenance teams. I then developed my role as horticultural adviser to Kensington Hortorium Ltd, working on projects such as compiling seasonal reports for the gardens of Longleat, Wiltshire, The Henry Smith Charity Estate, London, and tree surveys for Glympton Park, Oxford and the PepsiCo Headquarters, New York State, U.S.A. My work also involved the design and implementation of a new private garden in Florida.

I formed the Garden Management Consultancy in 1988. We currently work on many private gardens throughout England and Wales, from London houses to large country gardens.

In my role as a horticultural guide I have led a tour of the gardens of the Italian Lakes for Saga’s prestigious subsidiary Renaissance tours and regular trips around English and London gardens for the company, The Art Of Living.

I have designed two award winning courtyard gardens at the Chelsea Flower show in 1989 and 1993.