Patrick Garton grew up within the orchid businesses of the late Wyld Court Orchids and the ongoing Boa Vista Orchids on the island of Madeira where he is currently based and working. After a degree in plant sciences at Oxford University and gathering practical experience in Holland, at Hillier nurseries and at The Marie Selby Botanical Gardens, Florida, he went on to study at The Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew where he was awarded the Kew Diploma in Horticulture in 1998. He has been a trustee of The Living Rainforest since 2000. Apart from botany and horticulture, he has particular interests in entomology, natural history and travel.