THE beautiful gardens of Easton Lodge have a new recruit as part of a college partnership. Tom Coppin, a horticultural graduate from Writtle College, has already succeeded in gaining his first graduate gardening job. Tom is about to start his new job as

THE beautiful gardens of Easton Lodge have a new recruit as part of a college partnership.

Tom Coppin, a horticultural graduate from Writtle College, has already succeeded in gaining his first graduate gardening job.

Tom is about to start his new job as a full-time gardener at the gardens, which are just north of Dunmow.

"I am over the moon," he said. "I am really looking forward to caring for and developing the gardens." Tom joins the gardens just as the Gardens of Easton Lodge Preservation Trust has taken over the management of the gardens and has exciting plans for restoration of the design commissioned by the Countess of Warwick in 1901 from the famous Edwardian designer Harold Peto.

"It's a big adventure for us all," said trust chairman Bella D'Arcy, "and we are delighted to have such an enthusiastic and capable gardener such as Tom working with us."

The gardens will be part of a new horticultural course being launched by Writtle College to start this year in Historic Garden Management.

For more information about this course and other courses in Horticulture please visit: www.writtle.ac.uk