The Sir John Pagan Award for Horticulture has provided the opportunity to experience European landscapes, particularly those in the United Kingdom; and has enhanced my personal understanding and appreciation of these great landscapes in terms of horticulture as well as landscape architecture.

After graduating from the University of New South Wales in 2009 with 1st class honours in Landscape Architecture, the Sir John Pagan Award has provided a new perspective on horticulture for application to landscape architecture.
During my undergraduate years I studied and critically examined many of the landscapes which I viewed during my travels. The Sir John Pagan Award has enabled me to witness the horticultural significance of these landscapes, as well as their cultural and historical development.

This travel report encompasses of a variety of garden styles and designs in the United Kingdom and also in France and Italy. In order to maximize the horticultural experience of the European Spring and Summer, I travelled between May and July 2009 and had the opportunity to visit the renowned Chelsea Flower Show, as well as gardens of under the care of the National Trust, English Heritage, and other private gardens.

In 17 days of driving through the countryside mostly in England, I covered 1,600 miles, visited 6 World Heritage sites (Kew Gardens, Hadrian’s Wall, Edinburgh, Blenheim Palace, Bath, Stonehenge) and visited 27 gardens and places of interest. Versailles and Villa D’este were additional World Heritage Sites visited on the Continent.