 |
| Razvan Chisu |
My name is Razvan Chisu, I was born in Transylvania and I was fortunate enough to grow up in a Botanical Garden where I spent most of my free time as a teenager passionate about plants.
I then went on a 5 year long course in general Horticulture with a BSc degree and a 2 year Masters of Science course in greenhouse vegetable and ornamentals production at my home university: USAMV Cluj-Napoca.
After graduation I worked for 2 years at the Herbarium in the Botanical Garden in Cluj, Transylvania. Botany was one of my favorite courses at university and working in the herbarium further cemented my interest in plant hunting. This is Romania’s largest herbarium with dried specimens from all over the world, some three centuries old.
After that I started working as a freelance gardener for various clients in Transylvania and lately in the UK. I have designed and built two new gardens in Transylvania and I've also been looking after many other gardens.
My interests range from minute alpine plants and bulbs, succulents, fruit and heirloom vegetables, ferns and orchids to perennials and shrubs.
I am very keen on plant propagation, from getting difficult alpines to germinate to twin-scaling snowdrops and root cuttings of various perennials.
As the editor of The Saxifrage Magazine I have implemented a complete overhaul of the layout and design of this publication, and have worked on the 2015, 2016 and 2017 issues.
I am also interested in food crops, especially less well known species like oca, quinoa, amaranth, cucamelon, yacon, heirloom varieties of tomatoes and chillies and also wild foraged plants. I suppose it’s the plant explorer in me that wants to try and taste and collect as many different plants as possible.
Apart from work I like to be involved in the community and I am currently serving on the committees of AGS Cheshire and The Saxifrage Society and also I’m a member of : Scottish Rock Garden Club, Hardy Plant Society and the British Pteridological Society.
After that I started working as a freelance gardener for various clients in Transylvania and lately in the UK. I have designed and built two new gardens in Transylvania and I've also been looking after many other gardens.
My interests range from minute alpine plants and bulbs, succulents, fruit and heirloom vegetables, ferns and orchids to perennials and shrubs.
I am very keen on plant propagation, from getting difficult alpines to germinate to twin-scaling snowdrops and root cuttings of various perennials.
As the editor of The Saxifrage Magazine I have implemented a complete overhaul of the layout and design of this publication, and have worked on the 2015, 2016 and 2017 issues.
I am also interested in food crops, especially less well known species like oca, quinoa, amaranth, cucamelon, yacon, heirloom varieties of tomatoes and chillies and also wild foraged plants. I suppose it’s the plant explorer in me that wants to try and taste and collect as many different plants as possible.
Apart from work I like to be involved in the community and I am currently serving on the committees of AGS Cheshire and The Saxifrage Society and also I’m a member of : Scottish Rock Garden Club, Hardy Plant Society and the British Pteridological Society.
Between 2015 and 2018 I have served as the National Plant Collections Coordinator in Cheshire with Plant Heritage.