Unveiling the green-thumbed advocate behind the reopening of garden centers amidst the pandemic - Boyd Douglas-Davies
Prominent Horticulturalist Boyd Douglas-Davies Takes the Helm at Greenfingers Charity
Boyd Douglas-Davies, a renowned figure in the horticultural industry, has been appointed as the chair of Greenfingers, a charity that creates gardens at children's hospices. This new role comes after Douglas-Davies's successful tenure as president of the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) and the Association of Fish and Wildlife Agencies (AFWA).
Douglas-Davies's career in horticulture spans over 40 years, a journey that began when he left school at 16 with eight O levels. He later studied garden centre management, but his education was cut short when he returned to his father's business, a group of shops on the high street stocked with plants, compost, and beehives in Warwickshire.
His first professional role was as a sales manager at Webbs, a nursery business owned by Richard Webb. Douglas-Davies spent two years learning from successful garden centres across the country, gathering ideas for his work at Webbs. His dedication and hard work paid off, as he rose through the ranks to become CEO, a position he held for 20 years.
One of Douglas-Davies's most significant achievements during his time at Webbs was the transformation of garden centres into modern stores. This transformation continued when he left Webbs in 2011 to start his own chain, Hillview Garden Centres. Today, Hillview has grown from one centre to 11, and in 2019, it joined forces with the British Garden Centres group, becoming the largest garden centre group in the country.
Douglas-Davies is also known for his charitable work. He launched Garden Re-Leaf day, a charity event that has raised over £1 million for Greenfingers Charity. His drive to put horticulture on the school curriculum and engage more young people in careers in gardening is commendable.
During the pandemic, Douglas-Davies persuaded the government to re-open garden centres, arguing that they should be considered essential services due to their sale of perishable goods. He also helped to keep the industry afloat by persuading the government to include garden centres in the list of businesses eligible for grants.
Douglas-Davies learned people skills from his father, who ran a garden shop in Warwickshire. These skills have served him well throughout his career, enabling him to make a significant impact on the horticultural industry and the lives of many children through his charitable work.
