A SUCCESSFUL horticulturalist has returned to where it all began to lend his expertise to the next generation.

Ross Weightman, 46, of Easington Village, who is a former student of East Durham College’s Houghall Campus Durham has joined the staff at its Garden Centre.

He has worked in garden centres and nurseries all over the country, as well as working in the biggest azalea nursery in the southern hemisphere while on a gap year in Australia.

After returning, Mr Weightman set up his own business outside Easington Village, where he worked for 18 years before selling up the business to focus more on his own family home redevelopment, and doing freelance landscaping work.

Ross apply for the position at Houghall after finding that an early retirement wasn’t quite for him.

He said: “I hope to use my experiences building my own business, my planting knowledge and my knowledge of commercial production to help to keep growing and improving the range of plants and offerings at the Houghall Plant Centre. “This is where I started my horticulture career and I’m looking forward to putting something back into the college that started it all.”