Paddy Mackie

NIHGT President from 2019 to 2025

Paddy was a Research & Development engineer in the family business of James Mackie & Sons. Outside his commitment to Mackies were his twin interests of ornithology and horticulture. These were fulfilled when on building a house on the barren point of Mahee Island he planted a shelter belt of trees, dug a duck pond and established a ringing station for migratory waders and waterfowl.

Over the years an impressive and expansive woodland garden was coaxed into existence, thousands of waterfowl were ringed and with his concern for the conservation issues of Strangford Lough, The Castle Espie Conservation Centre near Comber was opened in 1982.

In 2004 he received an MBE for services to conservation in Northern Ireland and in 2021 was awarded the A.J. Waley Medal by the Royal Horticultural Society in recognition of his contribution to the cultivation of rhododendrons.

President & Director - Terence Reeves-Smyth

Terence Reeves-Smyth is an archaeologist, architectural and garden historian who has published many books and papers on a range of subjects.  He was formerly Senior Inspector with the Historic Environment Division (HED) of Northern Ireland and now devotes much of his time to researching and publishing various aspects of architectural and garden history; currently he is writing a book about the nursery and seed trade in Ireland.

terence.reeves-smyth@nihgt.org

Chairman & Honorary Treasurer - Mike Burrows B.A., F.C.A.

Mike is married with 3 children. He is a graduate of Trinity College, Dublin, where he studied Business Studies. He then qualified as a Chartered Accountant in Belfast, after which he joined the company Moffett Thallon and Co. Ltd. Mike became the MD of the company and acquired ownership of it. The company became a leading manufacturer, distributor and retailer of Doors and Architectural Ironmongery. He is involved in several other companies in the building and property trades. He has been an active member of various charitable organisations, currently a director of Men Against Cancer. Mike and his wife have restored Killaire House, a grade II listed dwelling, over the past years, and during that process have become enthusiastic gardeners.

Honorary Secretary - Jackie Harte

Principal Landscape Architect at Soltys Brewster Consulting, Belfast, United Kingdom

After working with Brian Clouston in Durham, Jackie studied at Gloucester College of Art and Design before becoming a Chartered member of the Landscape Institute in 1981. Based in Northern Ireland, she has worked in most sectors of the profession but has had a sustained interest in heritage sites. With Soltys Brewster she has been responsible for the landscape assessment and design of historic designed landscapes in Northern Ireland, Wales and Scotland. In addition to these grant aided projects (Heritage Lottery Fund), she also worked on similar projects required for historic sites owned by public bodies and private individuals. In later years she completed numerous conservation statements and provided general landscape advice to the Historic Environment Division (Department for Communities).

Trevor Edwards (NIHGT Director & Trustee)

Trevor was been a member of the NIHGC (Committee) from circa 1990. He was instrumental in the change to and formation as a Registered Charity in September 2015 and has been a Director ever since.

 
Trevor has been a self-employed Horticulturist since 1976. After 25 years of Retail Horticulture he changed direction to focus his efforts on Garden Design, Project Management, and Garden Restoration. In recent years he has been very involved in Garden Tourism. He has managed Garden Tours in Ireland, UK, most countries in Europe, USA, Japan, Grenada, Barbados, Mauritius, Switzerland, India and New Zealand. He is often consulted matters relating to Garden Tourism.

Trevor continues to work as a Gardens Tour Manager with various companies providing Individual & Group garden tours worldwide. Trevor has lectured on the Gardens of Ireland in many parts of the world. In 2025 he was a Guest Speaker at the Speaking of Gardening Symposium in Ashville Carolina, USA. He has featured in and presented gardening Television and Radio programs. Trevor is a Freeman of the City of London & a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Gardeners. He was the first Area Organiser of the National Gardens Scheme in Northern Ireland. He is also a Past Director of the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (UAHS). He was Chairman of the UAHS Membership & Marketing Committee. He is a Director and President of the Northern Ireland Amenity Council who run the annual Best Kept Awards.

In 2025 and 2026 he was the Gardening Consultant for the BBC TV Greatest Gardens series. He was elected in 2026 as a Director of the Irish Garden Plants Society.

www.trevoredwardsgardens.com

trevor.edwards@nihgc.org

Tracy Hamilton

Tracy and her husband Martin own the historic Ringdufferin House and Garden, near Killyleagh in Co. Down. Tracy is a director of the award winning Mash Direct Ltd. Tracy is a member of the Irish Tree Society.

Dr John A. McCullen - Dr. John A. McCullen: Was former chief park superintendent with the OPW and retired in 2012. He is a qualified Landscape Horticulturist and has worked on the restoration of many of the OPW's historic parks and gardens in Ireland. He is author of a number of books including the Landscape History and Management of the Phoenix Park to 1880 (Vol.1, 2009) and the Landscape History and Management of the Phoenix Park 1880 - 1980 (Vol. 2, 2024) and co-authored a Manual of Urban Trees (1983). He specialises in the history of the Phoenix Park and related properties. He is a founding member of the Tree Council of Ireland.

Dr Mark Johnston MBE

Dr Mark Johnston MBE - Mark is is an independent scholar with over fifty years experience in the green space industry, including working as a tree officer in local government, consultant in private practice, government adviser and university academic. He holds a PHD in urban forestry from the University of Ulster and his research now focuses on historic urban landscapes. Although originally from London, Mark is based in Belfast where he has lived since the early 1990’s. In 2007 he was appointed MBE in recognition of his services to trees and the urban environment. In 2009 Mark became the first British person to receive the Award of Merit from the International Society of Arboriculture.

He is the author of several books on the history of arboriculture, landscape and urban trees, including The Tree Experts: A History of British Urban Arboriculture (2021) and Planting Ideas in the Urban Forest: Autobiography of a tree expert (2024). Further details of Mark’s work and publications can be found on his website: www.markjohnstontrees.com

Mark joined the committee in November 2015 and served as a Director of the Trust from 2017 to 2025.

Susan Scott - Member of Irish Tree Soc & Int Dendrologists Soc. Owner of Florestina - Irish artisan florist creating natural garden style flowers for weddings & events.

Suzie joined the committee in 2015 and is an artisan florist. In 2014 she established "Florestina", creating natural, garden style flowers for weddings and events. She is particularly interested in practising sustainable floristry techniques using locally grown flowers, thereby supporting NI Flower Farmers. She works from her studio on the Ards Peninsula, in Co Down amidst a woodland garden set within a 19th century arboretum. She has organised a number of Tours and Study Days for the International Dendrology Society and is a member of their Tours Committee. She is a member of The Irish Tree Society, and sits on the Advisory Board of Castlewellan Arboretum. An Art History graduate from Reading University, she has recently been combining her two passions in life, flowers and art, by researching the art of flower painting and floristry in the 18th century in particular.

She is the author of Christ Church Carrowdore, a Parish History.

Florestina website: www.florestina.com

Doreen Wilson

Doreen spent her professional career in dentistry working in clinical practice and University, retiring in 2006 as Chief Dental Officer for N.Ireland. Pursuing an interest in historic gardens has led to a Masters degree at London University and a PhD from Queen’s University, Belfast. Doreen now spends her time researching and writing about historic Irish landscapes.

Doreen joined the committee in 2019.

Claire Woods - Gardens Manager at HRP Hillsborough Castle Gardens

Claire Woods is currently Head Gardener at Hillsborough Castle and Gardens where she leads  a team of experts, caring for Hillsborough Castle’s world-famous gardens. These cover 100 acres of ornamental grounds, peaceful woodland, meandering waterways and picturesque glens. She is an  enthusiastic ‘plants’ person  and is actively  using  locally grown and native plants in the gardens and grounds with a special emphasis on biodiversity and sustainability.

Previously she worked for DAERA in a range of roles including teaching horticulture and managing the gardens. A fellow and chartered member of the Chartered Institute of Horticulture  she continually advocates for the importance of horticulture for all, from the production of food crops to the creation of aesthetically beautiful and historic green spaces in which to live and play. Claire joined the committee in 2019.

https://www.instagram.com/historicroyalpalacesevents/
https://www.youtube.com/c/historicroyalpalaces
https://twitter.com/HRP_palaces
https://www.facebook.com/HRPalaces/

Michael Lear - Landscape Architect/ Board Trustee KEW

Michael is a Landscape Architect, Dendrologist and Curator,. From1997 to 2005 he ran the National Arboretum at Castlewellan for the Forest Service and established the Peace Maze also at Castlewellan. Currently he is convening the ‘Pathways to Peace’ initiative celebrating the 25 th Anniversary of the Peace Maze. In recent years he has been consultant to Newry Mourne and Down District Council on restorations at Warrenpoint Municipal Park and Castlewellan Demesne.

Michael first worked in Northern Ireland as Botanical Consultant to the National Trust and is former Trustee of the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew and now sits on their World Heritage Site Steering Group. Member of ICOMOS UK Cultural Landscapes and Historic Gardens Committee and the International Dendrology Society Science and Education Committee.

Michael joined the committee in 2020.

Margie Phillips

Margie works for Teagasc and has been involved with the education of students at the National Botanic Gardens, Glasnevin for the past 23 years. Margie also sits on the committee of the Irish Tree Society, and board member at the RHSI.