[Brighton] Volunteers required

Jack Straw said:

I would have been an older employee, but it was Johnny Gapper as Jevs has said! I'm still young at heart though!!

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jevs said:

I have a chalk bank in the rockery planted with native wildflowers. Please feel free to pop over and grab some seeds/plants etc

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Weststander said:

I just googled John Gapper. What a legend, as a young man in the 60’s when everyone else was obsessed with herbicides and insecticides in gardening/horticulture, he quietly went the other way. Developing a love for native flora and downland butterflies.

https://www.theargus.co.uk/news/11591350.the-green-man-of-sussex/

A real environmental hero.

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jevs said:

The plants were propagated by a wonderful gardener called John Gapper. He's been with the parks dept since the year dot and what John doesn't know about wildflowers isn't worth knowing.

The nursery has been taken over by Plumpton College. Although some of the glasshouses will be lost, many will be retained. I think the old walled kitchen garden will be somewhat restored and a learning centre put in.

I was privileged to work at the nursery as a work experience lad from school, a trainee on the parks and as a nurseryman where I eventually took over the beautiful tropical palm house and orangery. Luckily, I saw the nursery during the "good old days" when growers were very experienced nurserymen.

Happy days

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Jack Straw said:

During the war............

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jevs said:

During the war............

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