New LCGD Sam Taylor-Hunt Bursary Launched to Support Professional Gardeners in Planting Design Training

Accredited Training Providers, The London College of Garden Design (LCGD) is proud to announce the launch of the Sam Taylor-Hunt Bursary, a new initiative aimed at supporting professional gardeners who are passionate about planting design but may not otherwise have the means to access formal training.

The bursary—worth just under £7,000—will fund a place on LCGD’s renowned Planting Design Diploma. It has been created in memory of Sam Taylor-Hunt, a talented LCGD graduate and professional gardener who sadly passed away in 2024. Sam was known for his innovative approach to planting, his generosity within the gardening community, and his successful garden design business. He also featured on BBC Gardeners’ World, where he shared his creative ideas with a national audience.

LCGD Director Andrew Fisher Tomlin, who taught Sam, said:

“The bursary is in memory of, and celebrates Sam Taylor-Hunt, an LCGD Graduate from the Planting Design Diploma and professional gardener who we very sadly lost in 2024. Sam ran a very successful garden business and was interested in new ways of using and experimenting with plants, even appearing on BBC Gardeners’ World to explain his ideas. He was very supportive of his profession and an inspiration to those who knew and worked with him.”

The bursary is offered with the support of the Professional Gardeners’ Guild (PGG), an organisation that represents gardeners working in private gardens and estates, fostering knowledge exchange, professional development, and community.

Applications open on 1st June 2025 and close on 31st July 2025 for the Planting Design Diploma starting in January 2026.

Application forms can be downloaded from the LCGD website’s news section here. Or requested by email: kate@lcgd.org.uk