Having been trained at Kew, and having begun his career with twelve years as a ‘lecturer in amenity and landscape horticulture at Writtle College, Essex’, in the U.K., our speaker for the evening of April 21st, John Sales, was in 1971 appointed Gardens Advisor to the National Trust. Two years later he was promoted to Chief Gardens Advisor, succeeding Graham Stuart Thomas in the position. Clearly his horticultural qualifications are considerable. John remained Chief Gardens Advisor to the National Trust for twenty-five years, during which time ‘he was responsible for advice and guidance in almost 200 historic gardens and landscape parks in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.

‘As well as the vitally important continuing advisory work, the gardens advisory team had key roles in restoring many of the Trust’s gardens, training gardeners and conserving scarce plants. Over 27 years with the Trust John Sales pioneered integrated historic researches and surveys of important gardens, co-authored the first-ever, long-term conservation and management plan (of Stourhead, 1978) and helped develop the technique of formulating these plans for all gardens. He played an important part latterly in developing the concept of establishing statements of significance for all National Trust properties to endeavour to capture and retain the special qualities and spirit of the place.’

He retired from his position with the National Trust in 1998. Since then he has acted ‘as examiner and external assessor for diploma courses in amenity horticulture for colleges and the Royal Horticultural Society and served on the RHS Examinations Board’, as part-time gardens consultant, lecturer, author and Royal Horticulture Society judge for gardens at the Chelsea and Hampton Court shows. (He sent this information to me in haste, as he was rushing off to judge the Chelsea show. I wonder if he would be up to the standards of our judges at the VRS show!) He is undoubtedly kept busy in his retirement, in that he also has a large garden of his own near Cirencester.

John has written numerous articles, published in many journals. His recent book, written with co-author Margaret Willes, and containing many beautiful photographs, is entitled A Year in the Garden: In England, Wales, and Northern Ireland. Before that he wrote a book entitled West Country Gardens, and he is co-author of two other books: Rooted in History and Recollections of Great Gardeners. ‘He was awarded the Victoria Medal of Honour, the highest award of the Royal Horticultural Society’, and the ‘International Castles Institute Medal of Honour’.

Having an extensive familiarity with probably all of the most important gardens in the U.K., both within the auspices of the National Trust and otherwise, John’s lecture to the VRS will be on Woodland Gardens specifically. The lecture will naturally focus primarily on the woodland gardens in the National Trust, but will not be confined to them. The best and most illustrative of woodland gardens throughout Britain will be included, whatever their ownership. Since rhododendrons are especially appropriate in the woodland, the lecture by this extraordinary horticulturist should be one to which we can all look forward with enthusiasm. This is his first visit to the Pacific Northwest.

John Sales