Lucy Wenger
Even though Lucy is a trained horticulturist, you won’t find her in a garden – rather the hot, steamy atmosphere of the Eden Project’s Rainforest Biome where she works as a specialist in tropical trees and plants
Earliest gardening memory Harvesting my first pumpkins from our family allotment. I placed them in size order and chose the biggest to carve out for Halloween. It had grown so big I had to have help lifting it. First plant love Lupins, with their bright stripy colours, covered in bees. I used to grow as many as possible as a child on our allotment. They were at the centre of my favourite childhood story Miss Rumphius, also known as the Lupine Lady who scattered lupin seeds everywhere she went to make the world more beautiful. Most valuable training How to dismantle, clean, sharpen and reassemble my Felco secateurs – an art I was taught by Kew’s tropical nursery staff and one that makes all the difference. Dream plant destination Seeing Victoria amazonica in the wild in the Amazon River basin – a long held dream of mine. What is the most challenging part of your job Swinging off ropes pruning our trees, 50 metres above the ground in the Eden Project’s Rainforest Biome – a regular job to keep our giants, such as the kapok tree Ceiba pentandra, from breaking through the roof. It’s hot and sticky work but one of the most enjoyable parts of my job. What principles have guided your attitude to horticulture Looking at the link between plants and people. To use horticulture as a catalyst for change and create a commonality with people across the world. Whether this is through delving into Cameroonian rainforests and identifying species with locals, using Latin and gardening techniques to communicate. Or in Honduras, looking at how the properties of the local species of tropical tree Inga can be harnessed to bring about change, reversing the effects of slash and burn agriculture. If you had to leave your garden in a hurry, what one plant would you take with you Ranunculus ficaria ‘Brazen Hussy’; it’s an absolute stunner I picked up from Beth Chatto’s garden many years ago. Bright sunshiny flowers set against deep purple, polished leaves. It’s brilliant groundcover to cheer up the early months. Favourite gardening blogs and books The Kew Science Blog is always full of fascinating plant research stories and for a book, DK Eyewitness Plant; simple, visual and full of basic knowledge to get people excited about the world of plants. Contact lucywenger@hotmail.co.uk