0600

I live onsite, so after breakfast I walk to my office, taking a different route each time. If a major piece of work is going on, or a new plant being planted, I’ll take a look. It’s lovely, but quite busy as we try to get all of the heavy machinery moving around before the gates open. Kew is a mile long, so there’s a lot going on!

0930

Mornings are usually defined by meetings – which could be with the executive board or the maintenance team. There are 400 people in my directorate, so there’s always something to discuss. One great thing about Kew is that the meeting rooms are spread around the site, so they are a great excuse to get out.

1200

I try to dash home. Often the walks there and back take longer than the lunch, but it’s a chance to say hello to my wife and make a coffee stop. Mine’s a double ristretto, which we don’t serve in the cafés – yet!

1400

Talk with staff at the Millennium Seed Bank. It’s one of the things that drew me to Kew from the Royal Botanic Gardens in Sydney. It’s a great project, not just a case of throwing seeds in a vault and locking the door. We have to make sure they survive, that they can be germinated and that we know how they will grow.

1630

I may check in at Wakehurst Place with the team, who I visit every Friday. I’m lucky to be surrounded by people who are passionate about their work. As a manager you have to live off the reflected glory of your staff. If they are achieving fantastic things then you are doing your job.

1730

Off home to do some emails as we prepare dinner. I prefer to work a little at home, rather than stay in the office late. I do some writing and blogging, often in front of the TV. Algae research is my hobby. I do mix work and play a little bit.

1900

There may be an event, perhaps fundraising for Kew Foundation. Right now, we’re in the middle of a project to refurbish the Temperate House, the largest surviving Victorian glasshouse.

2230

Is generally lights out, but I work with people in Australia and around the world, and it’s a real test to not look at the Blackberry!