The Christopher Lloyd Scholarship
The Christopher Lloyd Scholar spends a year working in the garden at Great Dixter, learning from Fergus and the team. They are paid a national living wage and are offered subsidised accommodation on-site.
The scholarship is aimed at improving the skills within UK horticulture and is open to UK citizens or anyone who is eligible to work in the UK.
The aim of the Christopher Lloyd Scholarship is to provide UK gardeners with a chance to develop a deep practical skill-set and an understanding of a ‘sense of place’ needed to manage complex, innovative flower gardens such as Great Dixter. It is hoped that the Scholars, in turn, will inspire a future generation of UK gardeners, passing on knowledge and skills.
The scholarship is primarily a practical training position: while scholars will have the opportunity to attend study days and other courses on site and beyond, applicants should be aware that learning will mostly be through hands on learning in the garden.
The Scholars are paid as a Great Dixter employee during the 12 month programme and the placement begins in September 2025. The scholars will be paid minimum wage and have the option of living in subsidised accommodation on site.
Applicants must be eligible to work in the UK and be at least 18 years of age.
Selection Criteria
Successful applicants will have:
- Previous horticultural training and work experience
- Qualifications, including vocationally relevant qualifications
- Interest and motivation to work in the sector
- Skills that the placement would develop or enhance
- A desire for self-development and their own goals
Applications for the 2025-6 scholarship have now closed. The next opportunity will be advertised in March 2026.
The Christopher Lloyd Scholarship has been generously supported by the Club 22 donors.
It is important to us that we maintain the international nature of our horticultural placements. People from outside the UK should register their interest via the other placements page.
George Game is our Christopher Lloyd Scholar 2024-2025.
George- pictured left comes from Devon originally and studied philosophy at the University of Southampton before discovering a passion for gardening. He completed his RHS Level 2 in Scotland at Douneside House, which is owned and run by the MacRobert Trust. Following this, he has worked at the Grade 1 listed Lake House in Wiltshire and, more recently, Wildside. He has also completed work experience at Logan Botanic Garden, Tresco Abbey Garden and 10 weeks with us at Great Dixter. George is looking forward to spending a full year at Dixter, honing his practical skills and understanding how the work fits together to create the garden. He is keeping a diary of his experiences during the scholarship, which will be posted below.
You can read 2023-2024 scholar Talitha Slabbert’s entries below:
and Ernie Weller 2023-2024 Scholar’s entries here:
Previous scholars were Ernie Weller, Talitha Slabbert, Rob Flack, Agnes Ladjevardi, Jamie Todd, Ben Jones, Henry Witheridge, Jonny Bruce, Edward Alderman, James Horner, Rachael Dodd, Maggie Tran, Jonny Bruce and Sara Jackson.
For more information on the Christopher Lloyd Scholarship please contact [email protected] or phone 01797 334 042.
