'Orchid Fuelled My Passion To Conserve'

The first plant I ever grew

The first plant I ever grew

I was an outdoor child, making miniature gardens and playing in bluebell woods. I was given my first set of garden tools when I was three and by the age of 14 I had asked for my own vegetable plot and took over my mother’s greenhouse. I even attempted to graft her roses!

The plant which shaped the woman I am today

I remember the excitement when I found my first bee orchid, Ophrys apifera, in a meadow. I was fascinated by how this plant mimics a bee to aid pollination. Many of these native meadows are under threat and this really helped fuel my passion to protect and conserve plants for future generations.