The Ruth Borun Scholar spends a year working in the garden at Great Dixter. The scholarship is aimed at improving the skills within UK or US horticulture and is open to UK citizens or anyone who is eligible to work in the UK or US citizens. 

UK citizens are paid National minimum wage and offered subsidised accommodation on site at Great Dixter.

In the case of US citizens, the scholar will receive a bursary from The North American Friends of Great Dixter to cover their living costs while in the UK. Subisdised accommodation is provided on site at Great Dixter. 

Our next round of applications will open in March 2025 to commence in September 2025. Please email [email protected] for further information.

This Scholarship is generously funded by The Anna and Harry Borun Foundation in memory of Ruth Borun.

Ruth Borun was a friend of Christopher Lloyd. He visited her garden in Los Angeles back in the 70s and wrote about it in his book Other People’s Gardens. Mrs Borun died in May 2018 and her husband Dr Raymond Borun came from Los Angeles to Great Dixter later that year, aged 100 years old. With daughter Amy, he retraced the steps his wife had so often taken on the visits she made to Great Dixter over the years. Amy remembers her as, “a hands-on gardener who enjoyed living and working in her vibrant garden every day”. The scholarship is to honor Ruth Borun for her love of Great Dixter and to support education.

 

Our Ruth Borun Scholar for 2023-34 is Naciim Benkreira. 

Naciim (pictured left) comes from Washington DC where he has spent the last 11 years gaining experience in a range of horticultural roles. His interests lie in sustainability, regenerative food growing and growing with local communities, especially children and young people.  

He is writing a diary while he is with us, which you can read here: 

September 

Previous Ruth Borun Scholars include Luke Senior, Colin Stewart, and Quentin Wallon. 

It is very important to us that we preserve the international nature of our horticultural community here. If you live outside the UK, and would like to volunteer in the garden for between 1 and 3 months, please visit our placement page to find out about further opportunities or for any enquiries relating to this Scholarship, please email [email protected].