About Us

About Us

About Us

About Us

BEST in Horticulture was set up in August 2011 by a group of lecturers from leading horticultural colleges, to offer the quality of training that specialist land-based colleges can give to a much wider audience, through distance and blended learning. BEST in Horticulture also provided RHS practical courses. Building on the success of BEST in Horticulture, in 2015 The Academy of Practical Horticulture was established to concentrate on providing a wider range of practical training. In 2022 we expanded, B.E.S.T in Horticulture Education Limited was created to meet the changing needs of learners and meet the increasing demand of high quality education and training using a range of different media. 

Because we have worked with the RHS and City and Guilds in question setting and course development, we are up-to-date with all the changing requirements for both types of qualification. We are one of the only providers that offers bespoke learning materials including course which cover all the courses we offer in depth; for example we provide materials for the RHS courses at topic, element level, through knowledge, application and integration.

Our aims are:

  • to give you the knowledge you need to go into a career in horticulture
  • to help you train to move upwards in your career
  • to give you the best possible preparation to achieve your qualifications
  • in doing this, not to lose sight of the fact that horticulture is a wonderful, interesting, life changing subject

BEST in Horticulture was started by Tony Davies and Janet Prescott to provide horticultural education outside a conventional college environment; their team of tutors and subject specialists come from a number of horticultural colleges and the industry.

Tony Davies

Mhort(RHS), DipHort(Dist), SCD(HONS), DipRSA, CertED, FI Hort.

Tony lectured in business planning and development at Sparsholt College and went on to be the Learning Manager in charge of Horticulture. He is the former Head of Horticulture at Warwickshire College (Pershore College). A professional horticulturist for many years, he has run a number of commercial enterprises, specialising in ornamental nursery stock production and horticultural retail.

As an educationalist, he has worked with a number of awarding bodies; City & Guilds, EDEXCEL and the Royal Horticultural Society as an examiner and in developing qualifications. He is a qualified instructor and a registered City and Guilds NPTC Assessor for a wide range of machinery and equipment.

Tony was a career horticulturist (now retired); he is passionate about horticultural education and training and is keen to share his expertise, knowledge and enthusiasm with anyone who wants to learn about the diverse world of horticulture. He now holds the National Collection of Ginkgo biloba and won a Gold Medal in 2019 for his first display of them at RHS Hampton Court and Silver Gilt at Tatton Park in 2020.

Janet Prescott

BA (Hons) BSc Hort (Hons) PGCE, PGDip in the Conservation of Historic Gardens and the Landscaped Environment   

Janet lectured on Royal Horticultural Society courses and Horticultural Science at Sparsholt and Pershore Colleges, and with Tony Davies helped to construct Gold medal-winning exhibits for Warwickshire College at Chelsea and Hampton Court in 2009-2011. She has worked with the RHS on course development and has also written for City and Guilds qualifications.

As a mid-life career changer into horticulture, she is keen to help other people to achieve their own horticultural ambitions. For several years she has opened her garden, which is the North Moreton teaching centre, under the NGS.