About me

My Background

As a qualified horticulturalist I have specialised in the natural landscape. I have experience in overseeing daily smooth running of large and small estates. Experienced in seasonal garden maintenance with excellent plant knowledge, competent in design and soft landscaping.

As well as horticulture, I am also a qualified Facilities Manager. Experienced in property management, coordinating work by other service providers, providing periodic and preventative maintenance programs. I have had the privilege of working with some amazing people while teaching gardening, conservation and the protection of local habitats.

Previous roles that have influenced my career

CONTRACTS MANAGER: Team Maintenance Services: Grounds maintenance for Schools and Commercial/Retail Estates. Based in Cornwall
FACILITIES MANAGER: Truro School (three years) Based in Truro
ESTATE MANAGER: ST. Andrew’s School, Kenya (Three Years)
FORESTRY & TRANSPORT MANAGER: ST. Andrew’s School, Kenya (Two years)
MANAGING DIRECTOR AND OWNER: Countryside Services (17 YEARS)Since establishing my garden maintenance business in 1993 I developed it into a locally well-reputed company. Our work included garden maintenance, consultancy, design, landscaping, wildlife and woodland management. In this role, as well as providing maintenance, I worked as a garden designer and a consultant specialising in wildflower meadows. Based in Gloucestershire and Herefordshire.
WARDEN AND GARDENER: The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust WWT, Slimbridge Centre (two years)

International Consultancy Projects

ADVISOR AND PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR: 'Turi Childrens' Project' Kenya, 2010, Help set up and build a drop in childrens' centre for vulnerable children.
ADVISOR: ‘Gambia is Good’, The Gambia, July 2008: To provide advice on composting, to observe and advise at a strategic development conference. I also researched work run there by Concern Universal into village irrigation projects.
ADVISOR: ‘Isubilo’, Zambia, May 2007: community support centre for victims of HIV/aids Ndola technical agricultural advice to their food-growing programme.
PROJECT CO-ORDINATOR: Atak Farm, Dehra Dun, Northern India, Aug 1992 – July 1993: Helped to develop a sustainable farm, to provide food for an orphanage in Northern India.
VOLUNTEER: India and Sri Lanka, Nov 1990 - Feb 1991: To advise and write reports on a Christian charities’ various projects in India and Sri Lanka

About my Logo: Gloriosa superba

This exotic looking plant is native to tropical and Southern Africa. I have seen it growing wild both in Zambia and Kenya. It is one of the most stunning sights to stumble upon in its natural habitat. More significantly for me, this species means a lot to my family. It is found in countryside, near their home in the northern province of Zambia. It has become an emblem of Zambia and symbolic for our Family who live there.

My family have lived in the North West Province of Zambia since 1890. Our great grandfather, Walter Fisher went out to serve a local community as a trained doctor and set up a hospital. The Gloriosa, was his most favourite plant to see when walking through the bush in those early years. It brought him such joy, that the locals began to call it Doctors Joy. A slave rout trailed close by to his base and he would barter with the traders to take sick slaves that would not make it to the coast. He treated them for various illnesses and then, when they were well enough, he sent them to their homes. The local chief of the area began to give him much respect and allowed him to make this his home in that region. Later he founded the Kalene Mission Hospital there in 1905. The Fisher family are still living in Zambia serving their local communities today. My mother, Pasty Rudge (formerly Patsy Fisher) has taught us to love and serve others, not to recognise race or colour but to have a deeper calling in all we do. To her and many others, this flower is not just the emblem of Zambia or a stunning tropical flower but a representation of a man who gave his life to serve others. The ‘Doctors Joy’ can bring a little joy and hope to us all.