Plantsmanship cup for Streetscene's Steve

HORTICULTURE graduate, Steve Rippin, Street Scene manager for East Devon District Council, has been awarded the Jim Furze cup for Plantsmanship.

HORTICULTURE graduate, Steve Rippin, Street Scene manager for East Devon District Council, has been awarded the Jim Furze cup for Plantsmanship.

Steve, 52, studied for the Foundation Degree in Horticulture part-time over the past four years at Bicton College, achieving the award with distinction.

He said: "I am very pleased to win the cup, I knew Jim through his interest in trees in the local community."

Mr Furze was head of horticulture at the college, in charge of the teaching curriculum and gardens from 1953 to 1985.

Steve, who has worked for EDDC for 20 years, completed the research module for his course on the levels of job satisfaction of local authority horticulture staff at East Devon Street Scene Services.

He intends to continue his horticultural studies, possibly in the direction of garden history and the conservation of historic gardens.

"I am a qualified horticulturalist but the course gives me a good botanical knowledge of plants, history of garden landscape, soil sciences and business management," said Steve, who was sponsored by EDDC for the course.

Tutor Ben Murrell said: "The ability to correctly identify and name plants is an important skill within the horticultural industry, and Bicton College, with its wonderful plant collections, provides the ideal place to learn."

* The college offers a range of foundation degrees in partnership with University of Plymouth, which can be studied on a full or part-time basis.

Places are still available for this September and more information is available at www.bicton.ac.uk.