Anna England

Anna England’s diploma introduced her to a career she loves and set her on the path to becoming Young Horticulturalist of the Year.

Anna was living in rural Taranaki, unsure of her where to go with a degree in business when she decided it was finally time to pursue her interest in horticulture.

It was a bold pivot in her career, but one that has paid off enormously. She’s now working as a Sales Coordinator at Elliots Wholesale Nursery in North Canterbury and loving her career.

Not only that, but Anna was crowned 2024’s Young Horticulturist of the Year. She competed against the best in the sector and came out on top.

“Studying at Lincoln really was a great way to build a sense of direction in what I wanted to do in life.

“It felt like the perfect way to get into the industry. It was such a nice learning environment, and I think the practical aspect, like the labs, growing, and trialling crops, was really good.

“It helped focus my many interests and ultimately find a career path that can include them all.”

Her studies helped immensely during the Young Horticulturalist competition, and she’s still using her knowledge daily in the sector.

“The material is relevant in many ways to the nursery industry, where maintaining plant health relies heavily on soil quality.”

Anna has grown to love the horticulture industry, especially the plants. She’s always excited by the idea of searching for new varieties and nurturing excitement for gardening.

Anna may have finished her time at Lincoln, but she’s always pushing to learn more.

“I’d like to get more experience in garden design, learn more plant science knowledge, keep hybridising to create new plants, take more field trips to see what other nurseries are doing, and maybe learn how to pronounce Latin plant names properly...”