Well after 10 years with
my employer it is time to move on....
In some ways the decision
about which direction to take now is easy; my passion for
horticulture is so deeply ingrained in me that I can't really think
of anything else I'd want to do! With horticulture being such a
diverse industry there are still enough directions to keep me
wondering which direction to take.
I've worked directly and
indirectly in horticultural retail for 11 years, firstly as part of a
team trying to turn a struggling garden centre's plant area from a
tired loss making space into a healthy and profitable one, then for
the last 10 years as part of a production team that has also been
heavily involved in retail. I enjoy selling plants and tackling the
multitude of problems that gardeners bring to my attention, so I
could see myself working in retail in the future. Similarly I've
enjoyed working in plant production; taking a young plant and
nurturing it up to become a good strong garden plant is immensely
satisfying and I'm good at it!
Growing plants and dealing
with problems, such as pests and diseases as well as cultivation
issues, would I think make me useful in a garden too. Even though
I've not yet worked full time as a professional gardener I have
always grown plants at home and I have a wide range of gardening
skills. Yes there are things that I might be rusty on (I've not yet
tackled topiary or a giant hedge!) but my love of gardening and
belief in the importance of good horticulture means that I'm very
keen to get experience and learn to get it right.
Over the years I have
built up a diverse knowledge of horticulture, and I hope that this
will be of use to future employers, even though I lack the paper
qualifications to 'prove' it. I believe that being self taught has
given me some advantage in that I have come to rely on myself for my
horticultural learning, and because I find learning about
horticulture so much fun I enjoy finding out new things, so I'm
continually expanding my knowledge and keeping it fresh.
I also really enjoy
writing about horticulture and plants. I've enjoyed building my
website and also have a
lively Twitter and Facebook
account, and a fledgling Pinterest account too! You can read my
articles here on my Pots and Polytunnels blog, and even a bit more
about my journey into horticulture so far here.
If you have a copy of 'How To Grow A Gardener', published by the Old
Horts Network, you can read a bit more about the work I've been doing
on pages 35-39.
So now I find myself
looking for a new job. Although I've worked in retail and production
horticulture for 11 years part of me would be interested in working
in a garden. What concerns me at the moment with finding a job is the
timing; I will be leaving my company on the 7th
of November 2014, but this is not the time of my choosing. I
would like to make it clear though that I am leaving my employer at
this time of year due to a company restructuring and not because I've
been naughty!
If you would like to get
in touch, maybe if you might be interested in me joining your
organisation, you can email me at mail @ bensbotanics.co.uk.
Please note that I have
signed an undertaking of confidentiality with my employer and will
not be able to enter into any detail about their activities in the
public domain, nor will I be able to comment on anything that does
not directly affect me or my work at interview. Please bear this in
mind if you already know where I work; this is a difficult time for
me anyway, and I can't afford to get into trouble with my boss!
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