Lesley

After studying languages at Durham University, Lesley joined the Royal Navy before embarking on a 10 year career in the City with financial institutions such as Merrill Lynch and Prudential-Bache. She moved to the West Country with her husband Simon in the early 1990s starting a family and pursuing a new career in horticulture. This culminated in her obtaining the highly regarded Royal Horticultural Society Diploma in Horticulture and working at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden where she met Robert. She is an active school governor and enjoys playing tennis..

Robert

After reading History at Reading University, Robert also embarked upon a 10 year career in the City with institutions such as Hungarian International Bank and First National Bank of Boston.  His horticultural career began when he studied professional plantsmanship at Cannington College for 3 years which ultimately led to him becoming Head Gardener at the University of Bristol Botanic Garden for 13 years. He lives in ‘artsy’ Southville in Bristol and collects prints and paintings.