Jenny Hendy turned a lifelong passion for plants and wildlife into a thriving career as a gardening author, designer, teacher and presenter.
After gaining an Honours Degree in Botany she briefly worked in horticultural retail before joining the research and writing team of Gardening Which? Magazine. During this time she was granted a short sabbatical joining a French team studying the South American rainforest canopy via an expirimental hot air balloon raft, ‘Le Radeau des Cimes’.
On turning freelance, Jenny began writing for magazines and national newspapers, and at the same time developing her design and consultancy business. Shortly after her first book ‘Quick and Easy Topiary’ was published in 1996 she was invited to be the journal editor for the newly formed European Boxwood and Topiary Society. Jenny has shaped topiary for various TV shows and even demonstrated clipping box live on BBC Radio 4’s Woman’s Hour! Jenny along with artist friend Viv Palmer led after-school clubs and nature based workshops for children and some of the projects can be found in ‘Kid’s First Gardening Book’ which won the prestigious Garden Media Guild Award for Best Practical Gardening Book.
Jenny undertakes design commissions both at home in the UK and abroad, most recently in Mallorca. Her enthusiasm for gardening is infectious and she maintains a busy schedule of workshops, talks and demos including leading the adult teaching programme at the Grosvenor Garden Centre near Chester.She is a regular guest on BBC Radio Stoke’s gardening phone-in.