Graham Ross (horticulturalist)

Graham Ross, is an Australian-based horticulturalist, author and television presenter. In 2011 he was presented with London's Royal Horticultural Society's Veitch Memorial Medal (VMM) in recognition of his contribution to gardening and horticulture in Australia.^[1] The VMM is an international award issued annually by London's Royal Horticultural Society. Ross is only the fourth Australian to receive the VMM since its inception in 1870.^[1] He is the only Australian in history to have been appointed a Life Fellow of the prestigious Royal Botanic Gardens Kew Guild, London.^[2]

Career

Ross's career began in the late 1970s with a move into the media producing and presenting gardening programs for ABC television in 1978 and later on the Seven Network's 11AM programme in 1980 as a Horticultural reporter on Seven National News. He was gardening editor for Sydney's Daily Telegraph for four years and worked on the former Sun Newspaper in Sydney for 10 years.^[3]

Ross has presented a three-hour gardening program for Radio 2GB since 1980, making it one of the longest running, and highest-rating programs in Australian radio history.^[2]

Ross has been with Australia's Channel Seven since the mid 1980s. Most of that time he has spent at Australia's number one lifestyle show, Better Homes and Gardens, on which he has presented over 700 episodes.^[1]

In 2014 Ross was awarded the Australian Institute of Horticulture's Golden Wattle Award for the advancement of the profession of horticulture in Australia through 'sustained exemplary conduct as a professional horticulturist'.^[4]

Public Life

In November 2015 Ross was instrumental in the establishment of the Australian Garden Council with a focus on the promotion of gardening, garden education and garden tourism.^[5] David Glenn, Tim Entwisle from the Melbourne Royal Botanic Gardens and gardening writer Trevor Nottle were also named as members of the founding council.^[6] Ross described the goal of the new council as being to "reinstate gardening on to the national agenda".^[6] By July 2016 there was no further public announcements or developments evident in the establishment of the Australian Garden Council.

References