Untangling Plants: St Andrews Botanic Garden and Tom Stuart-Smith Studio CPD Sessions (Weds 19, Thurs 20, Fri 21 August)

Untangling Plants: Three-Day Plant Library Data Collection & Research Event- 19-21 AUGUST 2026
Led by St Andrews Botanic Garden and Tom Stuart-Smith Studio

Plant Library and Apple House

Are you available Wednesday 19, Thursday 20 and Friday 21 August  2026 (9:30am–3:30pm each day) and interested in contributing to an ambitious plant research project?

We are offering 30 places on a three-day data collection event at the Plant Library at Serge Hill – a unique living collection of over 2,000 plant taxa.

Sand Beds in the Plant Library

About the project

Untangling Plants is an ambitious initiative to develop a new digital resource for gardeners, designers, and growers. As climate change reshapes planting conditions, this project aims to build a knowledge base that better captures how plants perform, adapt and contribute to biodiversity.

We are delighted to invite students and practitioners from the fields of horticulture, design and ecology to be part of the team that builds this new database of plant characteristics and performance through a series of CPD sessions at the Serge Hill Plant Library, a collection of c. 2,000 horticultural plant taxa.

Participants can expect to spend 5 - 6 hrs in the Plant Library, actively taking measurements of plant morphology in groups of two and three to maximise knowledge exchange and interactions with the plants.

After an introduction to the Plant Library by Head Gardener Millie Souter, Harry Watkins (Executive Director, SABG),will provide induction sessions briefing the teams. The groups will be familiarised with the diversity of the Plant Library, working closely on twenty taxa each day, collecting specimens that will then be measured by the St Andrews Botanic Garden team, who will analyse the carbon and water relations to create assessments of plants' competitive vigour and stress tolerance. This data will also connect with the existing Tangled Bank database at St Andrews Botanic Garden.

Measuring plant morphology


What to expect

Over the three days, you will:

• Spend extended time working within the Plant Library collection
• Receive guidance and support from experts in plant ecology and design
• Take part in three short seminars on planting design, climate resilience, and ecological principles
• Gain hands-on experience in observing and recording plant morphology and performance

This is a rare opportunity to engage deeply with a diverse plant collection while building practical skills and contributing to meaningful research.

Dr. Harry Watkins processing boehmeria specimen

Who can attend

This opportunity is open to students and practitioners in horticulture, design and related industries, you do not need prior data collection experience, but you should have a basic to intermediate knowledge of plants and horticulture. Please note: Participants must be able to attend all three full days.

What’s included

• Expert-led workshops on planting design, climate resilience, and ecological principles, led by Dr Harry Watkins (Executive Director, St Andrews Botanic Garden), Dr Henrik Sjoman (co-author of The Essential Tree Selection Guide, Senior researcher at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences & Scientific Curator at Gothenburg Botanical Garden), Millie Souter (Head Gardener, The Plant Library), Landscape Architects from Tom Stuart-Smith Studio and other experts. 
• A home-cooked vegetarian lunch and refreshments provided on all 3 days 
• Certificate of completion
• Recognition as a co-author on a peer-reviewed journal article (to be published in 2027)
• Priority booking for future Untangling Plants sessions 
• Opportunities to network with peers and professionals across related fields

Dr. Harry Watkins talking to the group about the project's processes and goals

Accommodation (optional)

For those travelling from further afield, there may be an option to camp on site on Wednesday and Thursday evenings (please email becky@tomstuartsmith.co.uk to express interest). Access to facilities and catering will be confirmed ahead of the date.