The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew has announced the appointment of Raoul Curtis-Machin as its new Director of Gardens. Raoul, who is currently Director of Horticulture at Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, brings with him a wealth of experience having worked in horticulture and heritage landscapes for 35 years.
He joins Kew’s Executive Board under the directorship of Richard Deverell. At Kew, Raoul will be playing a central part in furthering RBG Kew’s vital work in plant conservation, enhancing the living collections, education, and horticultural excellence, both at Kew Gardens in London and Wakehurst, Kew’s wild botanic garden in Sussex. In the coming years the role will oversee critical developments for the charity, including an ambitious project which seeks to transform Kew’s iconic Palm House and Waterlily House into the world’s first net zero Victorian glasshouses.
Raoul’s career has spanned various roles within the horticultural and heritage sectors, working as a Gardens and Parks Adviser with the National Trust, the Landscape Historian for Historic Environment Scotland, and Horticulture Director at the Horticultural Trades Association. Raoul has served as Director of Horticulture and Visitor Experience at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh since 2022, and has also co-authored the best-selling Garden Plants for Scotland, published a garden magazine, and been a garden designer, head gardener and estate manager.
Welcoming his appointment, Raoul Curtis-Machin says, ‘I am thrilled to be joining RBG Kew at such a vital time for conserving the world’s biodiversity. Horticulture skills will play an increasingly critical hands-on role in growing and understanding threatened plant species, as well as nurturing new uses for plants in nature-based solutions. The gardens at Kew are amongst the best in the world, and offer people the chance to see plant conservation in action.’
Richard Deverell, Director of RBG Kew says, ‘I’m really delighted Raoul will be joining Kew from the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh. Not only does he bring a wealth of experience and credibility in botanical horticulture, he also has invaluable commercial, governance and heritage experience. He has a great reputation as a collaborative and ambitious leader and I very much look forward to working closely with him. We thank Richard Barley for his years of dedication to Kew, his unwavering efforts will have a legacy at Kew and wish him well for his return to Australia.’.
Raoul is expected to take up his post at RBG Kew in summer 2025, replacing Richard Barley when he returns to Australia after 12 years at Kew. During his time as Director of Gardens, Richard Barley has overseen many defining moments. In 2018, the Temperate House reopened following a five-year renovation project, and in 2019 the Children’s Garden opened its gates, offering the next generation a chance to develop a love for plants and nature. In the same year, the Agius Evolution Garden was completed, giving visitors an insight into the modern understanding of DNA-based plant evolutionary taxonomy. Richard has been a vocal advocate for careers for professional horticulturists, acknowledging that we cannot save the planet without these skills, and he was instrumental in adding Kew’s ‘Introduction to Horticulture’ course to its suite of programmes aimed at training the next generation of experts. Richard was awarded a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2023 King’s Birthday Honours, for services to Horticulture.