The Royal Parks appoints Jack Aldridge as Horticultural Curator
The Royal Parks charity, which manages London's eight historic Royal Parks, has appointed Jack Aldridge as its first ever Horticultural Curator, starting in early June.
Working across the parks' 5,000 acres of historic parkland, the new role will focus on delivering exceptional horticulture for the millions of visitors who enjoy the parks each year, helping to cement The Royal Parks' reputation as a world-class horticultural destination.
Jack will support the charity's eleven Head Gardeners to develop and enhance plant collections and displays across the parks, ensuring they are beautiful, biodiverse and resilient in the face of a changing climate. He will also work with a wide range of nurseries and growers to oversee plant sourcing across the parks.
Jack brings a wealth of horticultural expertise from RHS Garden Wisley, where he has led the team responsible for the historic Rock Garden and Alpine Meadow, as well as the RHS collections of alpines and bulbs. Prior to this, he managed Oakwood, a historic four-acre woodland garden that marks the origins of Wisley. Jack is recognised by the RHS as a Horticultural Specialist in woody ornamental plants and is a contributing author for Trees & Shrubs Online.
In 2025, Jack received the RHS Roy Lancaster Award, which recognises individuals aged 35 or under who have made an exceptional contribution to horticulture. He serves on the RHS Woody Plant Expert Group and is a trustee of the White House Farm Arboretum Trust.
Matthew Pottage, Head of Horticulture and Landscape Strategy at The Royal Parks, said:
"We are delighted to be welcoming Jack to The Royal Parks team. We are passionate that horticulture can bring benefit to both people and planet, and in these times of climatic extremes, the need to diversify our landscapes has never been greater. We have no doubt that Jack's extensive plant knowledge will help us create extraordinary displays that are not only beautiful, but also resilient, as we adapt to meet the challenges of a changing climate."
Jack Aldridge added:
"I am looking forward to working with the team to support the shared aim of delivering wow-factor horticulture and developing a world-class plant collection throughout the Royal Parks.
"I feel that the need to diversify our planting in response to the changing climate offers us an exciting opportunity to push the boundaries and experiment with what we plant within a variety of interesting microclimates, bringing joy to visitors and putting The Royal Parks firmly on the global horticultural map."