April 3, 2020
Paul Gellatly
Paul Gellatly new hort director at Toronto Botanical Garden
A passionate life-long horticulturist, Paul Gellatly joined the Toronto Botanical Garden as the new Director of Horticulture on March 9, 2020. Most recently, Paul was the Curatorial Gardener for one of Canada’s largest tropical plant collections at the Toronto Zoo. He also worked on the zoo’s pollinator meadows and revitalization plan to control invasive plants in the core woods while proactively reintroducing native, ephemeral, and understory trees. Many online garden lovers may know Paul through his strong online presence as the “Tattooed Gardener,” with social media posts reaching 4.7 million people per month. He is an avid collector of rare and unusual plants in addition to being an experienced hybridizer of daylilies, with 18 registrations with the American Hemerocallis Society.
Paul was previously a gardener at the City of Toronto, which provided him with a great deal of exposure to the plant species that thrive in our geographical area and allowed him to develop his knowledge and skills. Paul spent six years at Plant World in its perennial department where he was exposed to a vast selection of perennials as well as native plants. He was also an estate gardener for a Trillium Award-winning garden in Carlisle, Ont., which was an acre of forested property filled with natives and unique plants. Paul’s home garden, which contains an eclectic mixture of plants, is featured in Tara Nolan’s new book, Gardening Your Front Yard: Projects and Ideas for Big and Small Spaces.
Paul was previously a gardener at the City of Toronto, which provided him with a great deal of exposure to the plant species that thrive in our geographical area and allowed him to develop his knowledge and skills. Paul spent six years at Plant World in its perennial department where he was exposed to a vast selection of perennials as well as native plants. He was also an estate gardener for a Trillium Award-winning garden in Carlisle, Ont., which was an acre of forested property filled with natives and unique plants. Paul’s home garden, which contains an eclectic mixture of plants, is featured in Tara Nolan’s new book, Gardening Your Front Yard: Projects and Ideas for Big and Small Spaces.