Government House Gardener awarded top honour

Saturday 08 June 2019

The Head Gardener at Government House has seen his many years of service recognised by Her Majesty the Queen.

Gary Le Poidevin has been awarded the Royal Victorian Medal (silver) as part of the Queen’s Birthday Honours List for his loyal service maintaining the grounds at Guernsey’s Government House.

Pictured: Her Majesty, The Queen. 

Guernsey-born Mr Le Poidevin trained as a young apprentice with the States of Guernsey’s Parks and Gardens department in 1972, moving into Government house a decade later as Second Gardener and subsequently becoming promoted to Head Gardener in 1995.

Mr Le Poidevin told Express about the significant change's seen in the grounds over the decades, as he played an instrumental role in opening them up for public enjoyment. As Vauvert and Notre Dame do not have their own playing fields, they have previously used Government House and Mr Le Poidevin said he was pleased that they could offer up the facility for school sporting events. He described having conducted numerous garden tours over the years, opening up the grounds to the public and businesses alike.

“When I first came to government house in 1983, the grounds were mainly farmland. At the time, the actual grounds only opened up for a couple of events every year – for the Queen’s birthday reception and the Red Cross fete. Over the years, we’ve opened them up to the general public more and even had quite a few functions here.”

Within the Government House’s grounds, Mr Le Poidevin cares for specimens in the national camellia collection as part of his duties. Among various other prizes he has been awarded for his cut flowers, he won a national award in 1995 for his dahlias and is regularly invited to judge shows in both Guernsey and Jersey. 

A beekeeping enthusiast managing five hives, Mr Le Poidevin is also the President of the Guernsey Beekeeping Association, continuing to manage hives within the grounds. 

“I’ve always come from an outdoor background. My father was a farmer, so I had experience with that anyway. I do a couple of hives for the grounds, two for the house and the rest are mine,” he said. 

The award came as a surprise, as Mr Le Poidevin's son was eagerly waiting for a parcel to turn up, when he collected the envelope with the unmistakable palace stamp. 

“He didn’t even twig, he didn’t even notice the palace stamp. Once I saw the stamp, I had an idea,” said Mr Le Poidevin.

Pictured: Lieutenant Governor, Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder is the eighth Mr Le Poidevin has worked for. 

The Lieutenant Governor Vice Admiral Sir Ian Corder praised Mr Le Poidevin for his lifetime of service, and expressed how ‘delighted’ he was for being singled out. 

“He has served eight Lieutenant-Governors, providing flowers for the house and produce for the kitchen, not to mention keeping ten acres of grounds neat and tidy, whatever the weather. His work has been enjoyed by countless official visitors, including members of the Royal Family, along with Ambassadors, Ministers and senior UK politicians. His record of loyal service to the Crown is remarkable” he said.

Mr Le Poidevin shared a fond anecdote, recalling one of the standout moments of his job.  

“It was lovely to meet the Queen Mother. We’ve got quite a few photos. When the Queen Mother came, my second eldest was only a baby and got a photo with the Queen Mother shaking his hand…I’ve done tree planting with the Queen”.

Mr Le Poidevin and his wife Ruth hope to settle in a house they are restoring in northern France following his planned retirement next year. 

The Queen’s Birthday Honours List will be formally announced and toasted at The Queen’s Birthday Reception taking place at the Government House today, Saturday 8 June. The reception will feature a performance by Bugles of the 5^th Battalion the Rifles.

“It’s a great honour. It’s nice to be recognised for all the work and effort you put in. And also, it’s a big team effort, not just me” he said.