Malcolm Berry

Malcolm Berry is a Senior Horticulturist at the National Botanic Garden of Wales and has worked at the Gardens for six and a half years. His main area of responsibility is the fruit and vegetable quarter of the double-walled garden, which he manages organically, although it is not certified as such. He sees it as highly important to work with and not against Nature.

During his time at the Gardens, two main messages have emerged that he always seeks to communicate to people. The first is that those who grow vegetables at home would be better off not using F1 Hybrid seed, but open-pollinated varieties, which give a longer and more staggered cropping period rather than all ripening at once, with the added advantage of being able to save your own seed. The second message is that training fruit is incredibly easy with just a little know-how, and trained fruit is ideal for those people who have little or no space for a garden, as the plants are kept very compact due to the pruning methods used.

He frequently gives talks to Gardening clubs, where his enthusiasm for his subject can be given full rein.