In my previous job I was a senior building surveyor for over 15 years. It was an occupation that I enjoyed doing as I had worked hard to achieve that position in a multi- national construction company. However, I came to a decision 12 years ago due to a health scare, that I could no longer continue in that occupation. I decided to take an early retirements option instead
At that time also my wife and I had just brought our next home, that had a very large garden that had been neglected over the years. I made a decision with my wife that I would take the garden on as a long term project.
Knowing hardly anything about gardening or what horticultural meant, I decided to find out more through RHS sites and enrolled for a RHS study over 2 years.
I now know more about gardening( and still learning ) and also what it means to people who love gardening than I did 15 years ago.
I now have a gardening business that I love being involved with. I love my work and the people I meet when carrying out work to maintain, improve their gardens. I get the biggest buss of life when I garden and would not do anything else because I just love what I now do.
I never regret having to leave my original job because I found gardening
i did finish the garden project at home but like us all who become obsessed by gardening have changed that design on many occasions.
It was the best thing I ever did! It realy felt so great...getting paid for doing what you love! You won't be rich when it's about money but you'll be rich in many other ways!No qualifications,learned Latin names by reading books while raising my 2 boys and once they went to school I worked in those hours at my local garden center.You, Go for it!!
I'm completely overwhelmed and utterly gobsmacked at all the responses- I've been in the garden again so apologies for not responding sooner- I've set aside some time tomorrow to read them all properly - thank you so much for all your kind, wise and exteremely inspiring ideas and personal stories- you've all made a massive difference and I now truly believe that with a bit of hard work, determination and a boost to my self esteem I'll get there - watch this space - here comes Tracey 'The Cheerful Potterer' (couldn't resist the name!!)
Everthing in your life happens for a reason. I was never going to be a gardener but thing do change in your life that lead you to an opportunity to live for work instead of working to live. I would get in to working at your local GC if you can and your gardening knowledge should improve. Most GC what people who have a great enthusiasm for gardening and will normally encourage them to learn more.
As Adri stated, you will never be abundently rich in this job but you will get a unbelievable job satisfaction that you will probably not get in any other occupation
As a last, maybe, thought, although people seem to think gardeners are a cheap source of labour, if you're a proper good gardener, then it's a skilled occupation. The breadth of knowledge you need to run and maintain gardens including greenhouses is substantial and in depth. It shouldn't be a poorly paid job. People I work for know that and I get paid accordingly.
A local electrician has just charged me £50/hour, I don't see why a gardener should be paid less. (Convincing clients might be another matter, of course.)
Aster, the biggest problem seems to be the " anyone can call themselves a gardener" attitude, which is true, and also the fact that many people consider gardeners to be "domestic servants"
The decades or learning and experience just don't come into it with some folk.
The hourly rate for gardening work differs depending where you live. Some works are quoted price depending on the job to be carried out
Most of my works are recommendations and are the best way IMO to source your work.
As I have stated on here before, there are gardeners and there are qualified gardeners that cover all aspects of the horticultural spectrum. All major work on site should be health and safety regulated and guarantee on materials including plants must be complied with
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In my previous job I was a senior building surveyor for over 15 years. It was an occupation that I enjoyed doing as I had worked hard to achieve that position in a multi- national construction company. However, I came to a decision 12 years ago due to a health scare, that I could no longer continue in that occupation. I decided to take an early retirements option instead
At that time also my wife and I had just brought our next home, that had a very large garden that had been neglected over the years. I made a decision with my wife that I would take the garden on as a long term project.
Knowing hardly anything about gardening or what horticultural meant, I decided to find out more through RHS sites and enrolled for a RHS study over 2 years.
I now know more about gardening( and still learning ) and also what it means to people who love gardening than I did 15 years ago.
I now have a gardening business that I love being involved with. I love my work and the people I meet when carrying out work to maintain, improve their gardens. I get the biggest buss of life when I garden and would not do anything else because I just love what I now do.
I never regret having to leave my original job because I found gardening
i did finish the garden project at home but like us all who become obsessed by gardening have changed that design on many occasions.
I'm completely overwhelmed and utterly gobsmacked at all the responses- I've been in the garden again so apologies for not responding sooner- I've set aside some time tomorrow to read them all properly - thank you so much for all your kind, wise and exteremely inspiring ideas and personal stories- you've all made a massive difference and I now truly believe that with a bit of hard work, determination and a boost to my self esteem I'll get there - watch this space - here comes Tracey 'The Cheerful Potterer' (couldn't resist the name!!)
Everthing in your life happens for a reason. I was never going to be a gardener but thing do change in your life that lead you to an opportunity to live for work instead of working to live. I would get in to working at your local GC if you can and your gardening knowledge should improve. Most GC what people who have a great enthusiasm for gardening and will normally encourage them to learn more.
As Adri stated, you will never be abundently rich in this job but you will get a unbelievable job satisfaction that you will probably not get in any other occupation
Good luck and give it a go if you can
As a last, maybe, thought, although people seem to think gardeners are a cheap source of labour, if you're a proper good gardener, then it's a skilled occupation. The breadth of knowledge you need to run and maintain gardens including greenhouses is substantial and in depth. It shouldn't be a poorly paid job. People I work for know that and I get paid accordingly.
Someone near here charges 30.00 per hour.
When I gave up about 5 years ago, I was charging £20 an hour and I wasn't at the top end of the scale locally.
A local electrician has just charged me £50/hour, I don't see why a gardener should be paid less. (Convincing clients might be another matter, of course.)
Aster, the biggest problem seems to be the " anyone can call themselves a gardener" attitude, which is true, and also the fact that many people consider gardeners to be "domestic servants"
The decades or learning and experience just don't come into it with some folk.
The hourly rate for gardening work differs depending where you live. Some works are quoted price depending on the job to be carried out
Most of my works are recommendations and are the best way IMO to source your work.
As I have stated on here before, there are gardeners and there are qualified gardeners that cover all aspects of the horticultural spectrum. All major work on site should be health and safety regulated and guarantee on materials including plants must be complied with