The Royal Horticultural Society has announced the appointment of Robert Brett to the position of curator at RHS Garden Hyde Hall, in Essex.

Robert took up the post on Tuesday 7 April, joining a team of more than 250 staff and volunteers. As curator, Robert is responsible for managing and developing the garden’s plant collections and horticultural displays, and for leading a team of horticulturists, RHS trainees, apprentices and garden volunteers.

Robert trained at the Welsh College of Horticulture and has a Kew Diploma in Horticulture and an MSc in Environment and Development Education from South Bank University. He started his career in landscaping before moving to Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, where he assisted in the managed the orchid collections. He then became supervisor of glasshouses at Cambridge University Botanic Garden, where he also taught adult education programmes, and then moved to The Eden Project, as horticultural curator for temperate collections. Robert joins the RHS from his latest role at The Sainsbury Laboratory in Cambridge where he was responsible for the setup, delivery and management of a comprehensive plant growth facility for the Laboratory.

Robert said: “I’m thrilled to be joining RHS Garden Hyde Hall at such an exciting time in its history. The next few years will see many new developments to the garden, including a new edible garden, a winter garden and a 46 acre perennial meadow. It’s an honour to be able to work with a fantastic team to enable these ambitious projects come to life, ensuring that Hyde Hall remains one of the country’s best loved gardens now and in the future.”

In response to the increasing popularity of the garden, to which visitor numbers have grown by 41% over the past two years, the previous Curator and Head of Site, Ian Le Gros, has taken on the role of dedicated Head of Site with reponsibility for overall site management and key project development.