Be part of the leading professional gardening community for over 45 years – share knowledge, train and attend our social activities.
For over 45 years the PGG has been the meeting touchstone for professional gardeners employed in private gardens and estates. Our aims are to promote professional contact, share information and skills and, through our extensive ongoing learning and traineeships, to continue to provide the horticultural industry with skilled gardeners and garden managers.
But it’s not all work, work, work – the PGG events are very social activities and we look forward to welcoming new members.
Traineeship Scheme
The Professional Gardeners Guild Three Year Traineeship Programme In Horticultural Practices.
Upcoming Events
Don't miss any of our upcoming social events and garden visits.
Jobs Board
PGG offers a latest jobs service for all gardeners - jobs are posted regularly.
Professional Gardeners’ Guild Beginnings
In the 1970’s Brian Hutchinson, Head Gardener at Castle Howard, realised that many gardeners working in private gardens and on country estates were not able to easily meet and communicate with their peers. He wrote to several Head Gardeners in Yorkshire and a meeting of those few resulted in further exploratory meetings.
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In 1977, the fledgling Professional Gardeners’ Guild was formed. It developed slowly but surely, spreading throughout the country. The National Trust for Scotland proved to be a very early supporter of our aims and invited us to their Head Gardeners gatherings in an effort to raise awareness and recruit new members.
Over the years, many long lasting friendships and professional contacts have been established between members. Many members have benefited from this both socially and in the workplace too with job offers and sharing of knowledge and experience.
Today, it is much easier and quicker to connect and to share information, sometimes too easy and our inbox can be swamped with junk. We still hear though that there are not enough good new gardeners able to fill the shoes of the older generation. Who better then than the PGG to pick up the mantle and to form a Traineeship to help to fill that void? For almost 30 years, John Humphris, our pioneering former Chairman and later President, developed the Traineeship to a point where we have 15 trainees learning whilst working on a 3 year scheme.
The PGG is still run by volunteers. Some are in full time work and balancing their available time and resources, others are in part time work. All, care about our profession and the people who work in it.
If you are not a member, you might like to consider joining us.
If you are a member you might like to consider more involvement with the work and development we do.
If you are a trainee or former trainee, you might like to consider helping us to improve the scheme for future trainees and the future of professional gardening.
This is indeed a wonderful profession. Who better to nurture it and see it grow than ourselves, professional gardeners? We know better than anyone that a seed needs help to germinate and to grow. Make a difference with the PGG. Thank You.
Alan Mason.
Founder Member, PGG
