Collaboration and cooperation for the good of the horticulture industry was a key theme at this week’s HTA Garden Futures Conference in London.

In his opening address HTA president Stan Green encouraged delegates to be imaginative and proactive in promoting and shouting about the huge benefits of horticulture so that more attention is paid to the industry. ‘We can achieve much more and are better together’ he said.

Later, HTA head of horticulture Raoul Curtis-Machin and Sarah Cathcart, head of education and learning at the RHS, revealed that fewer than 50% of careers tutors can even define ‘horticulture’, and demonstrated how the joint Grow initiative is working to attract young people into a career in horticulture, which has been included in the school curriculum since September 2014. A short film aimed at 11-14 year olds reflects the diversity of the industry is designed to help spread the word.

TV Gardener David Domoney spoke of ‘Growing Gardeners’ and looked at the opportunities for sparking interest in the outdoor world for children and adults alike. Posing the question ‘Can gardening improve people’s lives?’ he demonstrated how through campaigns like Cultivation Street, gardening can make a real difference.

John Shaw, HR director at Homebase and garden designer Adam Frost spoke about inspiring future gardening talent through the Homebase Garden Academy, which this year has seen 1300 applications for the 20 places on offer.

The Academy offers a once in a lifetime opportunity to kick start a career in horticulture through qualifications and experience. As John Shaw explained “How do we relate to the next generation of consumers if we don’t have the next generation of experts in store?” Homebase stores with garden academy students outperformed others, as the students shared their knowledge and inspired their colleagues and customers, he said.