New gardener looks forward to challenge
HERM has a new estate gardener.
Shannon Owers is now the island's only gardener, following the promotion of long-term gardener Brett Moore.
Shannon, 23, comes to the island from Sparsholt College in Winchester where he has trained and worked for the past six years, spending three years as an apprentice and three as a technician.
He will be responsible for the upkeep of all the island gardens, including the hotel lawns. He will be joined by a student gardener during the summer months.
Originally from Southampton, Shannon moved to Herm in January.
He has spent most of his working life teaching students and working primarily in greenhouses and on computers.
He saw the Herm job through an email mailsheet and applied straight away.
Looking at pictures of Herm, it seemed very small and compact so he was surprised by the diversity of the terrain and the actual extent of the land.
He is looking forward to the challenge of such a large estate and so much hands-on work in the outdoors.
