By Marcus Uhe
Manager of horticulture at Royal Botanic Gardens Cranbourne, John Arnott was profiled on the most recent episode of ABC television’s My Garden Path on Friday 18 February.
The episode looked at his career in the horticulture industry, including his last 14 years at the gardens in Cranbourne, and his previous experience working at the Melbourne Zoo, creating naturalistic enclosures such as the butterfly house and the gorilla enclosure.
While he appreciated the recognition of his time in the field, Mr Arnott said that his main motivation for agreeing to the interview was the opportunity to acknowledge his special team of colleagues.
“This team of horticulturalists at Cranbourne Gardens is the best team I have worked with by far,” Mr Arnott said.
“It’s their comradery, their attitude, and their resilience.”
“The last couple of years have been quite challenging for host of reasons, including Covid-19 and lockdowns, but we’ve banded together as a team and looked for opportunities.
“It’s such a wonderful workplace culture.”
Watching yourself on television can be awkward and Mr Arnott’s experience was no different, describing the sense of anticipation as “terrifying” and succumbing to watching parts of the package through the gaps between his fingers with his partner, Lisa.
His personal highlight of the program was vintage footage from former ABC program Sow What in which he sported shoulder-length hair while giving program host Kevin Heinze a tour of the butterfly house and gorilla enclosure at the Melbourne Zoo.
“That’s where it got thoroughly entertaining,” Mr Arnott chuckled.
He said feedback from friends and family who watched the program has been overwhelming, and he expressed his gratitude to the producers at the ABC for putting together such a beautiful tribute.
If you missed the episode, head to abc.net.au/gardening/factsheets/my-garden-path—john-arnott/13761508
