"La Puce" wrote in message
ups.com...

Sacha wrote:
Has anyone else seen the article in the garden which is an interview with
two women who used to work at Sissinghurst? Two things they said struck
us
forcibly - they deplored the gimmicky TV programmes about gardening,
especially the treatment of Chelsea with its concentration on gurning
presenters and no plant names given, as most of us here do. It is to be
hoped that the BBC people who make that programme read that article. And
they remarked that there are far too many people doing far too many RHS
courses now. It does seem to have taken over from interior design as the
course some - I do repeat 'some' - people do when they don't know quite
what
to do!

Can you show us in the article where they actually said that 'far too
many people are taking RHS courses when they don't know quite what to
do', because that surprise me. Qualifications are now essential in
getting a job one wants. An RHS general qualification is now essential
to any job in public environmental work in councils across the UK. My
course alone last year was attended by 5 lads not really wanting to do
the course but had no option. All had been working over 5 years for
Oldham council but this wasn't sufficient.

So perhaps the rise of RHS applicants has risen because it is now
necessary to hold a qualification in horticulture and not just
'knowledge' one aquired through life experience and not because one
'just doesn't know what to do'.


What are your reasons for studying for the RHS general?
You already work in public environmental work without any qualifications.