Marion was always intrigued by the way plants made her, and the people around her, feel. For non-sentient beings, she was amazed at the emotions that plants evoked. And it was the thrill of the discovery of the Wollemi pine in the wilds of the Blue Mountains that prompted Marion to undertake a double degree in Plant Science and History at the University of Sydney, completing her studies in 2012.
Following the completion of her degree, Marion made a left turn into media, where she worked in the fast-paced world of television marketing, before realising that her heart would always be in plants. Upon moving from the inner west to Katoomba in the Blue Mountains, Marion began her apprenticeship at the Blue Mountains Botanic Gardens in 2015. From there she progressed to horticulturalist in charge of the Heath and Heather Garden and North American Woodland and is currently the Senior Horticulturalist in the nursery at BMBG.
Marion is passionate about botanical nomenclature and the fascinating stories behind plant names, writing about the plants which inspire her, keeping impeccable garden records for future generations to know as much about the plants in the Botanic Gardens as possible, and spending as much time in the Blue Mountains National Park as possible, hunting for terrestrial orchids and bush cockroaches.
You can see other projects that Marion has worked on across the Garden below;
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Planting and irrigation of the dahlia beds in the formal garden,
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maintenance of both the Breen Children’s Garden and Jungle Lodge
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and pruning proteas throughout the South African Rock Garden.