Are you a gardener? Considering a career change

[Usuallyhappycamper]

Seeking information in how to become a gardener and how easy it is to earn money. I currently have an office job, but love gardening and have an allotment. My gardening has tended more towards growing food, but I do also grow things I can't eat. Particularly interested in gardening for wildlife diversity and don't use pesticides despite attacks from the little sluggy bastards.

I have had a look at the RHS level 2 qualification as I have seen that mentioned. Is that a good one, or would you suggest others? How realistic is it that I can get a job around 2 kids in primary school and earn money?

A relative of mine is a gardener. She hasn’t bothered with any gardening qualifications. She is experienced and relies on word of mouth to get new clients.

She set herself up as self employed and has several clients on her books. She has also got a contract maintaining the community centre garden. She sells plants on line and on the roadside too.
She can pick her hours and it all fits in very well with child care.

Watching this with interest as I've also got these thoughts rattling around in my brain. I know gardeners can pick and choose their jobs around here - unqualified ones are charging about £30 p/h.

I think you could work it around school hours very well, but am curious how it works with the weather - obviously its a job you expect to get cold and wet doing. but what about days when there's nothing you can do - do you just reschedule? How do you manage your workload around that?

I've also looked at theRHS level 2, it looks to be the best one but can't find a part time one near me unfortunately. Ideally I'd love to do an apprenticeship, but it's a big drop in income so very scary!

I thinki would prefer to be employed to begin with, to learn from others and have a more stable income. That's why I am looking at qualifications. I was at the allotment in the car and rain last week and was much happier than if I was at my desk, although I appreciate that it is easy to say that after one day. Months of rain would be different and I don't like it really hot!

£30 per hour is loads @Pootles34!

Following with interest. I began the theory RHS level 2 but the level of study was too much on top of work and children. Contemplating dropping a day at work to do the “work and retrain as a gardener” course.

Another wobdering the same thing. Really enjoy gardening and am good at it. Don't want the fact that I'd be doing it for work to spoil that though! I think I'd rather be employed to start with - but tricky with no experience/qualifications...

@hotmeatymilk what is the study level like? I would have options of online, or attending an agricultural college not too far away. I am not sure what time they offer the course, or whether it would fit around work.

@Usuallyhappycamper I enrolled with the self-study course at Horticultural Correspondence College for the theory level 2, so entirely distance learning, they send out materials and you go at your own pace, with online forums and a tutor to contact if you need to. They were really good about proactively contacting me to see how I was getting on, and encouraging me to use their resources for help, etc. Would recommend.

I just bit off more than I can chew as my day job is quite intense and overtimey, DD is a nightmare sleeper, I live in a fixer-upper we’re trying to finish to sell, all DIY, and I write novels in the evenings. Not entirely sure when I thought I would study – 3am?

ummm yes Apart from only having one child, just gone into reception that's what I did this year.
RHS level 2 ongoing (just passed first half of exams). 2 days per week in a garden centre and 2-3 days per week in a private garden, but SE basis as I was already set up for it and works for them too.

Cannot believe I didn't do it sooner. Bloody hard work (4 tonnes of compost barrowed about in the last week) and all weathers but I've just enough flexibility to work with that, and with wrap around care and dog daycare, I can work daylight hours/ full day in summer by starting at 8 am (DH does morning school run)

Need a LOT of handcream though :/

Oh and it's minimum wage at garden centre and £12 at the gardening job, but they provide all my tools etc

Harrysmummy246 thank you for sharing your experience - is it the practical or theory level 2 you're doing?

Theory as the closest Ag. college only offered the course on days I either work or can't get wraparound childcare for.

I'm getting nearly all the relevant practical experience in job bar some of the propagation techniques tbh

And the beauty of it is, someone else mows the lawn so I don't have to do that. There's a lot of lawn at job. And I'm allowed to have ideas/ suggestions etc

@Harrysmummy246

ummm yes Apart from only having one child, just gone into reception that's what I did this year. RHS level 2 ongoing (just passed first half of exams). 2 days per week in a garden centre and 2-3 days per week in a private garden, but SE basis as I was already set up for it and works for them too.

Cannot believe I didn't do it sooner. Bloody hard work (4 tonnes of compost barrowed about in the last week) and all weathers but I've just enough flexibility to work with that, and with wrap around care and dog daycare, I can work daylight hours/ full day in summer by starting at 8 am (DH does morning school run)

Need a LOT of handcream though :/

Do you use barrier cream?

@AnOldCynic I probably should. I will add now that I have, and always have, eczema on my hands and they struggle. I should persevere with barrier cream. Especially for the jobs where you actually need to be gloveless for the fine dexterity

I am a gardener by trade and have been for over 20 years. I have level 3 RHS and work for a company plus do private work. It is indeed a great job which in many ways i enjoy- obvious reasons fresh air, keep fit, like my fellow workers.

However, and it really is important to bear this in mind- i started at nearly 30 and am now 50 and have very real problems with joints. The wear and tear of full time gardening is cumulative and where once I felt really fit gardening I have begun to feel worrying pains, particularly in an elbow and a knee. So I do think it’s best to have a back up plan as I do think the idea of another 15 years of this is a bit of a problem, if I want to have any quality of life in retirement.
The other thing is financially it is tough - hence why I do private work on top of a full time job.