I'm thinking about trying to get into gardening proffessionally, does anyone
have any advice about where to start, any relevant qualifacations etc.
Cheers,
Doug

"THECHILLIS" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking about trying to get into gardening proffessionally, does anyone
have any advice about where to start, any relevant qualifacations etc.
Cheers,
Doug

Hay and Hoe levels.....Sorry I couldn't resist it

"THECHILLIS" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking about trying to get into gardening proffessionally, does
anyone
have any advice about where to start, any relevant qualifacations etc.
Cheers,
Doug

A job at a local garden centre??
Also how about trying agricultural colleges .... only one I can think of is
one called Writtle college which is based in Essex.
HTH

Yeah, they do good short courses and have just had some massive, MASSIVE
greenhouses built as well as a new science block. I pick fruit there in the
summer sometimes, living only 500m down the road!

Charlie.

"Zizz" wrote in message
...

"THECHILLIS" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking about trying to get into gardening proffessionally, does
anyone
have any advice about where to start, any relevant qualifacations etc.
Cheers,
Doug

A job at a local garden centre??
Also how about trying agricultural colleges .... only one I can think of
is
one called Writtle college which is based in Essex.
HTH

"Steven Pilbeam" wrote in message ...
"THECHILLIS" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking about trying to get into gardening proffessionally, does anyone
have any advice about where to start, any relevant qualifacations etc.
Cheers,
Doug

Hay and Hoe levels.....Sorry I couldn't resist it

You can earn about £12 per hour for just cutting grass, in my area.
You will need a large area to compost the grass, or an allotment.
If you do general gardening you will need a small tipper truck,and
at least two mowers, one roller and one four wheel, both large size.
There is an extreme shortage of gardeners, mainly because of having to
visit so many gardens to make a living. For example two hour gardens,
half day and etc. It won't take long to become experienced.Tree work
pays the best, so I think this is where you should start.You should
get your starting up capital back within a few months.The government
probably pay an enterprise allowance.Get going this way, allow
yourself a day a week for getting qualifications.Being your own boss
is not everyone's cup of tea.My vehicle is a Suzuki five door van
bought for £1500 a year ago.An ideal vehicle with a small trailer for
logs. Good Luck...Ken

Ohhh Jammy ...!
Do they do pick-your-own?
L

"Charlie" wrote in message
...
Yeah, they do good short courses and have just had some massive, MASSIVE
greenhouses built as well as a new science block. I pick fruit there in
the
summer sometimes, living only 500m down the road!

Charlie.

"Zizz" wrote in message
...

"THECHILLIS" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking about trying to get into gardening proffessionally, does
anyone
have any advice about where to start, any relevant qualifacations etc.
Cheers,
Doug

A job at a local garden centre??
Also how about trying agricultural colleges .... only one I can think of
is
one called Writtle college which is based in Essex.
HTH

".... It won't take long to become experienced.Tree work
pays the best,..........."
This is a great recipe for disaster. you should have public liability
Insurance, and with no Arboriculture qualifications it will cost an arm and
a leg )And one mistake with a chain saw could also cost you an arm or a leg)
Proper training in arboriculture is a 3 year course at college, then there
are a lot of openings.

You don't say your age or where you are, what experience you have in
gardening etc.
If you are serious in wanting to take up Horticulture as a profession you
will find a lot of different training opportunities available.
Why not try doing a search on Google.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

THECHILLIS wrote:


I'm thinking about trying to get into gardening proffessionally, does anyone
have any advice about where to start, any relevant qualifacations etc.
Cheers,
Doug

We just did this one!

See:
http://groups.google.com/groups?q=%2...%22&hl=en&lr=&
ie=UTF-8&sa=G&scoring=d

The top thread is the latest one. Oh and try a spell checker, it doesn't
look very 'professional' when words are mispelt!-)))

Sorry, sorry I couldn't resist! My spelling is crap anyway!-)
//

Jim

omeat (THECHILLIS) wrote:

Hello THECHILLIS

T I'm thinking about trying to get into gardening
T proffessionally, does anyone have any advice about where to
T start, any relevant qualifacations etc. Cheers, Doug

My suggestion: Ignore qualifications if you want to be self employed.
They don't mean a lot to your customers, but experience and past
references do. Quallies *can* be useful if you want a senior
position in a firm or estate, so look around to see what a local
Agricultural type college offers. (I got City & Guilds 1 and 2 from
Dartington many years ago - never ever used the paper, but the
techniques were useful.) I have met people who've made a career out of
getting qualifications (state funded, naturally) and who are unable to
do a single days work, so I don't rate such things very highly.

Where to start: Get experience in commercial gardening. Work for
somebody else, doesn't matter if you start at the bottom - even
shovelling muck for 8 hours a day for a week is good experience. Learn
the shortcuts, make contacts, cultivate a good equipment supplier,
learn where to advertise.

--
Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK Ý http://www.digdilem.org/

"David Hill" wrote in message ...
".... It won't take long to become experienced.Tree work
pays the best,..........."
This is a great recipe for disaster. you should have public liability
Insurance, and with no Arboriculture qualifications it will cost an arm and
a leg )And one mistake with a chain saw could also cost you an arm or a leg)
Proper training in arboriculture is a 3 year course at college, then there
are a lot of openings.

Never mind your arms and legs: one mistake can cost a client his tree!
It's no use doing somebody else's garden by guesswork and good
intentions. Every county has a County College, and they'll train you.
Ask at the Library: they know everything, and will always be glad to
help. The Job Centre will have info, too.

And I didn't mean that about your arms and legs: for God's sake don't
go near a chain saw till you've had the proper training. I got my
training on them from the ATB (Agricultural Training Board), and it
was time well spent, even though I happily haven't got one any more.

[...]
Best of luck: I'm sure you won't regret it.
Mike.

(Simon Avery) wrote in message ...
omeat (THECHILLIS) wrote:

Hello THECHILLIS

T I'm thinking about trying to get into gardening
T proffessionally, does anyone have any advice about where to
T start, any relevant qualifacations etc. Cheers, Doug

My suggestion: Ignore qualifications if you want to be self employed.
They don't mean a lot to your customers, but experience and past
references do. Quallies *can* be useful if you want a senior
position in a firm or estate, so look around to see what a local
Agricultural type college offers. (I got City & Guilds 1 and 2 from
Dartington many years ago - never ever used the paper, but the
techniques were useful.) I have met people who've made a career out of
getting qualifications (state funded, naturally) and who are unable to
do a single days work, so I don't rate such things very highly.

Where to start: Get experience in commercial gardening. Work for
somebody else, doesn't matter if you start at the bottom - even
shovelling muck for 8 hours a day for a week is good experience. Learn
the shortcuts, make contacts, cultivate a good equipment supplier,
learn where to advertise.

I couldn't agree more, Simon, and I do aCCEPT dAVID'S POINT ABOUT
insurance, and safety.A two man team is essential with chainsawing,as
per insurance terms.
I have literally wept at hav ing to plant a tree or shrub in the wrong
place. But if you argue, and it dies, which it's likely to in the
wrong conditions, then the gardener gets the blame.The point I am
trying to make is that if you can earn £12 per hour for cutting grass
(hardly rocket science), why all the college courses.I remember going
for an interview 20 years ago (in the Vale of Bevoir) for a general
gardening job with accommodATion and I asked why the present gardner
was leaving.The reply was "he's from parks". To me that meant he knew
what he was doing but to the customer it meant something else.It meant
that the right way, wasn't HIS way.
Cutting grass in the summer and trees in the winter is ideal...no
disposal problems.Logs for heating and shred tree tops to mix with
grass cuttings.I am past retirement age, but if I was younger and
fitter, I would cut grass in the summer and do trees in the winter.I
have advertised in the past, in my area, and the phone went RED
HOT...Go for it CHILLIe.

Noe, you have to be employed by them. You basically pick for minimum wage /
by the weight. Mostly the students do it but I got lucky and was one of the
few members of the public that got a job. I'm thinking about applying to
exercise their horses this year, they're all so beautiful!

If you want PYO, theres a wonderful place in Hullbridge / Hockley near
Rayleigh.

Charlie.

"Zizz" wrote in message
...
Ohhh Jammy ...!
Do they do pick-your-own?
L

"Charlie" wrote in message
...
Yeah, they do good short courses and have just had some massive, MASSIVE
greenhouses built as well as a new science block. I pick fruit there in
the
summer sometimes, living only 500m down the road!

Charlie.

"Zizz" wrote in message
...

"THECHILLIS" wrote in message
...
I'm thinking about trying to get into gardening proffessionally,
does
anyone
have any advice about where to start, any relevant qualifacations
etc.
Cheers,
Doug

A job at a local garden centre??
Also how about trying agricultural colleges .... only one I can think
of
is
one called Writtle college which is based in Essex.
HTH

(Ken Saunders) wrote:

Hello Ken

KS I couldn't agree more, Simon, and I do aCCEPT dAVID'S
KS POINT ABOUT insurance, and safety.A two man team is
KS essential with chainsawing,as per insurance terms. I have
KS literally wept at hav ing to plant a tree or shrub in the
KS wrong place. But if you argue, and it dies, which it's
KS likely to in the wrong conditions, then the gardener gets the
KS blame.

I hadn't really considered tree work in this context - shame the OP
wasn't clearer in what they wanted to do. To me, gardening and tree
work are two seperate jobs, but I can see they might be blurred to
some.

KS accommodATion and I asked why the present gardner was
KS leaving.The reply was "he's from parks". To me that meant he
KS knew what he was doing but to the customer it meant
KS something else.It meant that the right way, wasn't HIS way.

Yep, but I can see the customers POV too. I know several old school
gardeners who will do things their way and only their way. If I'm
paying, I want things done my way.

--
Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK Ý http://www.digdilem.org/

(Simon Avery) wrote in message ...


Yep, but I can see the customers POV too. I know several old school
gardeners who will do things their way and only their way. If I'm
paying, I want things done my way.


Hello Simon...in the past when working full time jobbing
gaRDENING,I did everything in the garden including tree work, and when
the season finished was sought out to go commercial fruit tree pruning
which I found utterly mind numbing. Now I go to SPAIN for four weeks
at a time. What do you do in your OFF-season......Regards Ken

Simon Avery wrote:

omeat (THECHILLIS) wrote:

Hello THECHILLIS

T I'm thinking about trying to get into gardening
T proffessionally, does anyone have any advice about where to
T start, any relevant qualifacations etc. Cheers, Doug

My suggestion: Ignore qualifications if you want to be self employed.
They don't mean a lot to your customers, but experience and past
references do. Quallies *can* be useful if you want a senior
position in a firm or estate, so look around to see what a local
Agricultural type college offers. (I got City & Guilds 1 and 2 from
Dartington many years ago - never ever used the paper, but the
techniques were useful.) I have met people who've made a career out of
getting qualifications (state funded, naturally) and who are unable to
do a single days work, so I don't rate such things very highly.

Likewise there are those with no qualifications who I would let lose in
my garden without a moments forethought.. There are pros and cons to
both paths..

There are also a LOT of 'man with a van' firms, who I would NOT let in
my garden nor recommend to anyone else, who have gardener, landscaper
etc etc.. on the side of their van/business card etc and advertise as
such.

Where to start: Get experience in commercial gardening. Work for
somebody else, doesn't matter if you start at the bottom - even
shovelling muck for 8 hours a day for a week is good experience. Learn
the shortcuts, make contacts, cultivate a good equipment supplier,
learn where to advertise.

I do agree with this but there are plenty of smaller quals you can get
and work based learning schemes these days whether you want to work in
domestic landscape, commercial landscape, cropping, etc etc or any of
the areas inside Horticulture. Most of the higher 'quallies' as you call
them incorporate experience or insist on it in any case.. Whether
people retain or use that information & experience is another matter;-)

//
Jim