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gardening for a living
Kevin dale
Posts: 135
in Talkback
I'm really fed up with my day time job both mentally and spiritually I'm giving myself two full year's two get enough work in on a realistic level I'm working on a distance learning course with the Chelsea gardening school I'm motivated driven and ambitious am I dreaming or do I need a reality check?
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Lots of people do make a living at it Kevin.
I don't know how knowledgeable a gardener you are or will be but I'd try and set up as a bit more than someone who mows, cuts hedges and weeds. Learn how to prune properly rather than cutting back to fit. Know what plants are and how to treat them. You'll then get a good reputation among people who want more than a square lawn and 'a bit of colour' which will make it more interesting for you
In the sticks near Peterborough
Go for it, my friend is a garden designer, she is really busy. I had a gardener here just to lift paving stones and lay lawn as I couldn't do it as I was pregnant, I drew all the plans myself and told him to leave the planting for me, he planted 2 roses and made an awful job, shallow holes and the climber much too close to the fence, nice guy, but didn't know any plsnt id's I asked either, he was always really busy, so yes, get loads of experience, enjoy you course and do it
I've said it on Forkers thread tonight......life is not a dress rehearsal.....if you aren't happy only you can change that. Follow your dream but as Nut said learn lots rather than just being a general garden tidier
Good luck and sending positive thoughts that it works out.
Enjoy it. Get some experience in too to build a reputation up, before and after photos, letters of praise from people who you have helped ( even for free while you are training). Get friendly with the local press for when you wannt to start advertising, think about business plans etc. Can you do both part time - keep your normal job on part time while you build up your garden business.
Enjoy and keep us posted. X
Good luck with your dream Kevin. If it's within your reach, then grab it with both hands. I would really love to take a leap of faith and change from working in an office to carry out gardening. But the usual constraints of life sometimes hold us back, so at the moment I have to enjoy it as a hobby. But I like to offer advice if asked, help out and share my self grown plants with friends and family. One day perhaps . . . . . . .
I have found this thread very interesting myself as I am a 23 year old who's worked in a local Plant Nursery for 16 months, no college training, but would love to move on and start my own business, it's just figuring out where to start!
I shall keep an eye on this thread and I wish you all the luck