Among ex-scholars at the tea were Andrew Jackson, head of Wakehurst Place, Kew Gardens’ country seat; Neil Miller, head gardener at Hever Castle in Kent and Chris Warren, who headed the gardening team at the Jerusalem Botanical for several years before returning to the UK to establish a gardening company.
Katy Elton, a current UK Friends scholar, said: “Having an experience and understanding of horticulture in a different climate was one of the main things that drew me to the JBG scholarship and it is certainly delivering on that.
“It really is life and career changing for someone starting out in horticulture and I know that the gardens really appreciate the extra help that we can offer.”