Helen is third generation of Picton’s to run Old Court Nurseries & The Picton Garden in Colwall. Having trained as a Botanist at the University of Reading she has been running the nursery since 2009 with the help of her husband Ross Barbour. Co-Author of the 2014 book ‘The Plant Lovers Guide to Asters’ and author of a number of articles as well, Asters or Michaelmas daisies are very much her speciality but a love of all plants has been key to the continued growth and success of the nursery and garden. The large collection, more than 300 varieties, of snowdrops now plays a key role in the garden and the winter garden aspect has been featured in a number of magazines including January 2023’s issue of The English Garden and February 2024’s issue of the RHS magazine The Garden. Tender succulents are also taking an increasingly important role both on the nursery and in the garden thanks to Ross.

Ross Barbour trained in horticulture via the traditional journeyman route. Spending a number of years working and attending college in Scotland to gain an HND in Horticulture. Amongst other early jobs he worked in Oregon at the Iseli Conifer Nursery. Later he worked at Berriedale estate and then Drumlanrig Castle for the Duke of Buccleuch. Once Ross moved south of the border to the slightly drier climes of England he took up his first head gardener position in Berkshire, before taking on the head gardener role at Ragley Hall in Warkwickshire, home of Lord and Lady Hertford. Ross transformed the garden at Ragley Hall over a period of 16 years before meeting Helen and joining the business at Old Court Nurseries. Here he has not only been able to release his creativity in the 1.5 acre Picton Garden but also his skill as a plantsman with much propagation work on Snowdrops and tender succulents.

A little background for the nursery and garden:

Old Court Nurseries was founded in 1906 by Ernest Ballard as the home for his Michaelmas daisy breeding programme. The Picton family became involved in 1947 when Percy Picton joined as nursery manager, later buying the business and continuing Ernest Ballard’s work with his son Paul Picton. Over the years the range of plants expanded including alpines, bulbs, unusual trees and shrubs as well as the ever present Michaelmas daisies. In the early 1980’s Paul married Meriel and together they founded the National Plant Collection of autumn flowering asters and related genre (aka Michaelmas daisies). It was also at this point the garden was laid out to be a feature for visitors as well as stock beds. Helen and Ross are carrying on this important plant heritage and continuing to develop the garden and range of plants that can be found at Old Court Nurseries and the Picton Garden.