Sowing the seeds of a blossoming career
The UK landscape industry employs over 278,000 people and contributes £11.6 billion to our economy. Yet, for many school leavers, ‘gardening’ is what their grandparents do and they wouldn’t dream of considering it as a career. We chat with one apprentice who tells us why she has decided to branch out.
Hello, my name is Alyce and I am a Landscape Apprentice, working in the Landscape Management team for Grosvenor Estates. I am studying a Level 3 in Horticulture Supervision at Capel Manor College; I completed my Level 2 in 2017.
I’ve always been quite an ‘outdoorsy’ and practical person, so I was never likely to choose a career in an office. I had done a BTEC in Animal Management at college and then a year of Environmental Science at university, both of which contributed to my love of nature and the outdoors. An apprenticeship appealed to me because of the hands-on approach to learning. I didn’t really know much about horticulture before I started, but my passion for it has really grown now. Being able to spend time in nature is really satisfying, even though the job can be physically tough at times, and I’ve learnt about the many possibilities and career options there are in this industry. Grosvenor Estates manage and maintain a
16 Make The Future Yours! Issue 2
range of green spaces in central London, at some really prestigious locations. So, my average day will vary, and will take into consideration factors like the weather, the season and the safety of the local residents that use our gardens. For example, gardening in the winter can be hard due to the cold but your tasks are working towards getting the areas ready for the spring. In spring and summer, it is all systems go with general garden maintenance or planting and nurturing new and established plants.
Watering is one of the trickiest jobs with temperatures sometimes reaching high 30s in the height of summer. London’s microclimate means plants flourish earlier, so our team will have to use their experience, as opposed to books, when it comes to understanding what’s needed. Leaf clearance will take over much of our autumn months due to the many trees on our estates, we have more than 900. We recycle 100% of our green
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