One of the great privileges of being Chair of the Fellows of the Australian Institute of Horticulture is welcoming new Fellows into what I like to think of as our horticultural guild.

At the 2026 AIH Biennial Awards Dinner in Adelaide, I was very proud to participate in the conferring of Fellowship upon Michael Casey FAIH and John Tan Chee Hian FAIH.

I have long been interested in the concept of the guild and what it might mean for horticulture today.

Guilds have a very long history. Across Europe, and in different forms within Asian societies, skilled practitioners came together to protect and develop their craft, maintain standards, share knowledge and, importantly, teach those who would follow them.

Of course, I am not suggesting we return to the guilds of several centuries ago — although I do rather like some of their principles!

There is something valuable in the idea that becoming highly experienced in your profession brings with it not only recognition, but also a responsibility to pass that knowledge on.

That, to me, is what Fellowship should represent.

A Fellow is not simply someone entitled to another set of letters after their name. Fellows collectively hold an enormous store of professional knowledge, practical experience and, perhaps most importantly, the lessons learnt from a lifetime of getting some things right and occasionally getting things spectacularly wrong.

Both are worth sharing.

Michael and John have followed very different horticultural paths.

Michael has contributed enormously through urban green infrastructure, therapeutic horticulture, education, mentoring, advocacy and his work connecting people, plants and healthy places.

Michael and I also share the experience of being past Presidents of the Australian Institute of Horticulture, and over the years we have worked closely together, often quietly in the background, on matters affecting our profession and industry. Much of that work has involved policy, reviewing and refining ideas, and considering how horticulture can better support the social and cultural fabric of Australian communities. These are not always the things that attract headlines, but they are an important part of ensuring our profession remains relevant to the society it serves.

John’s career in Singapore has encompassed horticulture, landscape design, professional education, mentoring and industry leadership. My association with John also goes back many years. In 2009, he was one of just 20 foundation recipients of Singapore’s Certified Practising Horticulturist (CPH) recognition — and I share a particular pride in that achievement.

John was one of the first participants in the CPH program developed by my company, Annette Irish Management Services (AIMS), with the support of CUGE, NParks and more than 100 representatives from Singapore’s landscape horticulture industry. John himself was among those industry representatives who contributed their knowledge and experience to its development. The intention was always to recognise horticulture as a profession built upon demonstrated knowledge, skills, experience and continuing professional development.

There is a lovely continuity to John’s story. Having contributed to professional recognition in those early days, he has continued to give his knowledge back to the profession. In 2024, John was honoured in Singapore for the mentoring role he had played over many years within its landscape horticulture industry. 

John’s story demonstrates my guild concept rather than merely explaining it: John helped develop professional standards, became one of the first practitioners recognised under them, went on to mentor others, and is now recognised as a Fellow.

To me, that is very much the guild principle in practice: learn your craft, practise it well, contribute to its professional standards and then help others coming through the profession to do the same.

Their different careers demonstrate one of the great strengths of our profession. There is no single pathway to becoming a horticulturist, nor should there be.

But there should be a common thread: knowledge gained, standards upheld, experience shared and the profession left stronger for those who come after us.

Perhaps that is our modern horticultural guild.

It was therefore a particularly proud moment to see Michael and John receive their Fellows’ medallions and join the Fellows of the Australian Institute of Horticulture.

Congratulations, Michael and John, and welcome to the guild.

There is plenty of knowledge still to share — and plenty of work for us to do.