Horatio’s Garden Welcomes New WRAGS Trainee

We would like to warmly welcome Chelsea Lowe to the Horatio’s Garden team, who has this week begun her 12-month placement in our Scotland garden.

Chelsea will be supporting Head Gardener Sallie Sillars in the garden for two days a week, which is part of her commitment to the ‘Work and Retrain as a Gardener Scheme’ (WRAGS) run by the Women’s Farm and Garden Association (WFGA).

Her position has been largely funded by The Finnis Scott Foundation, which was established under the Will of Lady Scott (Valerie Finnis) in 2006. In the past five years, the Trustees have given over £1 million to a variety of projects, particularly supporting horticulture, plant sciences, fine art and art history to acknowledge the enduring preoccupations of both Lady Scott and her husband, Sir David Scott, K.C.M.G, O.B.E.. We are so grateful to the Finnis Scott Foundation for their incredible kindness and generosity.

As Chelsea is a self-taught gardener who has been pursuing her love of horticulture for over 20 years, she is looking forward to spending time with Sallie and the volunteer team in Scotland to hone her already impressive skills. 

The WFGA is a registered charity and was founded back in 1899 by women concerned about a lack of education and employment opportunities for women working on the land. Many years later, in 1993, the Association launched their WRAG Scheme, created as a way of offering a practical, educational opportunity for trainee gardeners to learn from expert head gardeners and owners.

Now that Chelsea is part of this Scheme, she hopes to make the most of the opportunity to further her passion. Having previously worked with community groups and children to teach and promote gardening, wellness and nature, she recognises the immensely uplifting power of gardens and their ability to inspire. With a love of storytelling and the third sector, Chelsea will undoubtedly be an asset to Horatio’s Garden Scotland.