a career in horticulture

All the best with that Scotkat! Fingers still
crossed re the GC job..

Lynne - I started off using my elderly Astra estate, which I kept with the back seats down, and was able to load masses of stuff in, even a lawnmower. I worked on my own for 3 days and for a firm for 2 days, and found that my weekends were getting used too, so I gave up working for the firm, and went full-time on my own, but with lots of experience at using the petrol driven machinery that I wouldn't otherwise have had.

One thing I found was that you learn a lot from your customers. Many of them have been gardening for years, and know exactly what they want you to do, and how they want you to do it, and wish they could still do it for themselves. I got loads of good tips from them.

I have always found it was a good idea when they asked me to do something, to ask how they usually did it, and if it seemed sensible, I'd do that, and if I had any doubts, I'd tell them what I usually did, and we'd have a discussion about it, and come to some agreement.

I think the best piece of advice I'd give anyone in these circumstances, is - never pretend you know something if you don't. Always check up. Get yourself a few good reference books, and in particular, always check when and how any plant should be pruned. You can't stick bits back on.....

The best books I think are the RHS Encyclopaedia of gardening, and the Expert books by Hessayon.

 

go for it lynne i wish i had done this.
i worked for a hotel in the gardens for years on low wages etc. started done gardens in my free time at weekends but i never persude it any futher a double hernea stopped me from doing gardens now iam doing maintenance in the hotel not the same i do regret not going out on my own so go for it.