Eden Project appoints 'horticultural showman'

The new director of horticulture at the Eden Project said he was overjoyed to be joining the team

The Eden Project has appointed a new director of horticulture which will see him take charge of a 50-strong team.

Peter Jones said he was "overjoyed" to be joining the attraction after 19 years at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

The Eden Project, in Cornwall, said the horticulture team managed and looked after the plant collections across the attraction.

Chief executive officer of the Eden Project, Andy Jasper, said: "Peter is a horticultural showman and will bring excitement and wonder to our plant collections as we approach the end of our first quarter century."

Peter Jones said connecting people with nature had never been more important

Mr Jones said: "As someone who is passionate about plants and the role they play in enriching all our lives, I feel a real affinity with the work the Eden Project is doing to connect people with nature, a mission that has never been more important.

"I look forward to working with everyone at the Eden Project to build on the success of the incredible site in Cornwall, as well as the exciting new major projects in Morecambe and Dundee."

Mr Jasper said: "We are delighted to be welcoming Peter to the Eden Project team.

"He brings a wealth of experience and enthusiasm and he will be instrumental in taking our horticulture to the next level.

"His arrival at the Eden Project heralds a new era for our gardens and is proof that there has never been a better time to work in horticulture."