Meg Spittal sees horticulture as an art form, so much so that many of the tattoos she has inked are species – both wildlife and plant form.

On one forearm she has a large wētāpunga, and on the other are lush foxgloves.

“It all started with insects because I felt bad in an entomology paper at university. We had to do a specimen collection for the paper, and I was like, ‘I am so sorry that I have to kill you’. I just find them intriguing and fascinating,” the 27-year-old recalls.

The collections curator at the 64-hectares Auckland Botanical Gardens since 2023, has always loved an outdoor life, and fell in love with gardens through her mother.

“Mum’s done private gardening for people. I helped out in the veggie patch, and a lot of my core memories from childhood stem to plants, and I can remember some of the trees that were at my childhood home,” a finalist in this year’s Young Horticulturist of the Year competition says.

“Both my parents grew up on farms, but came to Auckland for work. From when I was around six, my parents have owned land in Whakapirau on the Kaipara Harbour. Most weekends were spent hanging out in the bush and making up stories of fairies and trolls.”

Initially Meg thought she would follow her father into engineering but didn’t flourish in physics. She always loved biology but didn’t realise horticulture was an option when she first went to university.

“Only after the summer student role did I realise it was a viable career, not just a hobby. I got an undergrad bachelor’s in biological sciences, and thought I wanted to do lab work, or conservation and research. But in the final year of uni, a lecturer told us about a summer gardener role at the Auckland Botanic Gardens. I went for that and discovered I like working outside.”

The winner of the Young Amenity Award, Meg has recently returned from a nine-month internship in the United States – one of up to ten people from around the world chosen annually to work at the internationally-regarded 200-acre Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania. There she was immersed in land stewardship and ecology, conservatories and outdoor landscapes.

“One of the curators at Auckland Botanic Gardens had done the same internship 10 years ago, so it was always a goal to work my way towards it, to see how other gardens run,” she says. “I love that amenity gardens can bring so much joy. Amenity horticulture is horticulture for the purpose of leisure and beauty.

“I’m in a botanic garden setting, which has a higher focus on conservation and research. My job is to look after the gardens and also help with suggesting new plant species that are good for the Auckland climate.

“People sometimes think that gardening jobs are easy. There is a lot of technical knowledge. You’re always learning. I’d be a fool to say that I’ve done my apprenticeships, and now I know it all.”

Meg is excited to be taking part in the Young Horticulturist competition, that is now in its 21^st year. Run by the Royal New Zealand Institute of Horticulture Education Trust (RNZIH Ed Trust) with the support of official sponsors Woolworths, T&G Fresh and Fruitfed Supplies, it showcases the industry’s most promising young professionals and helps them develop the skills, knowledge and leadership needed to shape the sector’s future. Meg will compete in a series of technical, practical, business and leadership challenges, with four others across the wider horticulture sector.

Working in the sector, she says, is good for both physical and mental health. And she sees the irony in wanting to be indoors as a way to relax.

“My partner and I just bought our first house, so I’m loving the idea of planning the gardens. But when you do five days outside, I’m like, ‘I just want to sit inside and read’.

“I’ve already put in some fruit trees and have planned out the wildlife garden.”

She cannot, she says, choose favourite species as it would be like choosing a favourite child. But she has started a trained espalier pear in their new home’s back garden.

“It’s like my career. I’ve got ideas of what I’d like to do, and I’m just excited to see where life takes me.”

Grand Final Awards Dinner

Celebrating the achievements of the 2026 finalists across the horticultural industry.

https://www.younghort.co.nz/young-horticulturist-of-the-year