It took until my 30s and a few different jobs to realise I was meant to be a Gardener. In hindsight; it should’ve been obvious. Plants fascinate me – their biology, their heritage and stories, and their infinite variety. Most of my childhood was spent in the garden, my hands filled variously with seeds, bulbs, or snails. Horticulture however wasn’t portrayed as a viable career path when I was in education, and I was even actively discouraged by my secondary school teachers, from pursuing further education at land-based college, in favour of more academic routes. This attitude is something I passionately believe needs to change for the industry to have a positive and sustainable future.

Whether I was juggling volunteering and work in wildlife conservation as a teenager, or employed in retail in my 20s, or later when I spent several years at a family-run independent plant nursery, I never grew out of the joy of ‘playing outside’. Since arriving at West Dean in April 2023, as Glasshouse Gardener, I have discovered that there is just as much fascination, challenge, and excitement to be found growing inside too.

We are lucky at West Dean to curate a wide variety of permanent plant collections within the stunning setting of Victorian glasshouses. This means that during any one day, I could go from watering orchids to pruning stone fruit, taking cuttings from fuchsias, and cultivating cacti or tropical houseplants. Then in summer, we have the addition of seasonal displays and production, with edible crops such as chillies, aubergine, and tomatoes destined for the restaurant kitchen. Propagation, such as via cuttings, is another important area of work, and a particularly rewarding one. The fact that you can make whole new plants from a snipped section of stem or leaf, will always seem a bit like magic. I could never get bored and I am always learning something new!

I think many people would be surprised at how physical the job is. Plenty of sweat and elbow grease goes into re-potting large specimen plants or spending four months of the year with a bucket of soapy water scrubbing the glass clean. With so many different plants each with their own complex balance of cultivation needs regards watering, pest control, feeding, and ventilation/temperature/humidity, developing a skill for multi-tasking is essential; I’m never without my diary filled with to-do-lists and memorandum notes!

To balance the diversity of daily plant care tasks, there are seasonal rhythms which provide structure and routine. At this time of year, as we approach the winter, it is the time for glasshouse cleaning and collection management. Some plants such as Caladiums and Begonias need to be moved to winter quarters for a dormant period, whilst others such as Tradescantia and Fuchsia are cleared away to be replaced in the spring by fresh stock grown from cuttings currently overwintering in our propagation glasshouse. Meanwhile, I’ll be giving each glasshouse a thorough clean, inside and out. Darker mornings are the perfect opportunity to update plant records on the computer system or work behind the scenes cleaning and storing our terracotta pots. There is something uniquely satisfying about a well-stocked and organised pot store!

Whilst a Glasshouse Gardener’s life is a busy one, and it is true there is always another task waiting to be tackled, I try to remember to find a moment at the end of each day to pause and appreciate the magic of it. Even on the dankest November afternoon, there is nowhere more transportive than a glasshouse and its plant collections, be it the diminutive Lithops succulents from arid regions of southern Africa or the clambering Vanilla Orchid of tropical Central America.

Sophie Norris-Wagstaff
Glasshouse Gardener at West Dean Gardens