Do any of you earn a living from horticulture or related areas?

Bootsy.

I'm just curious and wondering if anyone here earns a living from gardening/landscaping/growing etc?

Have any of you done a horticulture course and how did you find it?

Do you think there are many opportunities in Ireland for a decent career in a horticulture related area?

dardevle

.....

worked for a number of years in landscape installation and maintenance, then a couple of years ago went back to school to study organics and have been working since as a tutor....not the easiest way to make a living if i'm honest and not going to get rich anytime soon but it is rewarding.



.....

paddy147

Bootsy. wrote: »

I'm just curious and wondering if anyone here earns a living from gardening/landscaping/growing etc?

Have any of you done a horticulture course and how did you find it?

Do you think there are many opportunities in Ireland for a decent career in a horticulture related area?

My other half is a fully qualified professional horiculturalist.She spent many years in college doing it.

redser7

How is it working out for her paddy?

paddy147

redser7 wrote: »

How is it working out for her paddy?

Theres work out there,but its tough going.

A good few builders and landscapers/general groundskeepers/gardeners who have gone t1ts up,now think they are professional garden designers and horticulturalists and thats what she is competing aginst nowadays.

People who think they know what they are doing,but dont actually have a clue,but who are doing crap jobs and making a fast buck.:mad:

These are the sort of people who take the money,plant shyte and then dont bother to call back to the client 3 or 6 months down the line to make sure that no plants have died,and if anything didnt take,then its replaced free of charge..

redser7

Well good luck to her. I believe the cream always rises to the top.

paddy147

redser7 wrote: »

Well good luck to her. I believe the cream always rises to the top.

Thankyou.:)

Ophiopogon

IMO the best course are held in the Botanic gardens as they have the best plant knowledge from all sides. They a number of Fetacs and degree courses, however I would recommend doing the fetac level 5 to start as it gives you a good base to decide where to go.

It can be difficult to find a job but at the same time there is a range of different jobs you can go in to. Its not just Landscaping which can be incredible difficult with the amount of competition and I would steer well clear from.

Have you an idea as to what you want to do?

Bootsy.

It's seems that there is work there but indeed you won't get rich from it! Still better than working in a bank or something.

I've heard a from a fair few people what you are saying paddy147 about landscapers etc who don't really know what they're doing and just taking the money never to be seen again. It's a shame but hopefully the good ones will get the best jobs.

Bootsy.

Ophiopogon, I just started a FETAC level 5 in Galway this week. Seems good so far. I was thinking about going further to the Botanic Gardens or even university to a science related degree (environmental science or similar). Another option I was considering was starting my own business but I'm lacking enough experience so far so would need a couple years working with someone else first. I've spent the last 15 years working in customer service/administration type jobs so this is a complete change of scene.

I would love to eventually work for something like the EPA or an environmental organisation.

Ophiopogon

I did a Fetac before going on to degree. I'm sure you know but my best bit of advice if working in horticulture and E.science is start making your contacts now.It's a very close knit industry which can be a very big help.

Also get as much working experience in different areas. I had an idea as to what I wanted to do when I started and have completely changed since.

I would just say, from people I know who did Environmental Science up to 10 years ago, it seems to big a very difficult industry to break into esp if its money you want. That being said I don;t know that industry well enough to know its future.

Best of luck

Rinker

Bootsy. wrote: »

I'm just curious and wondering if anyone here earns a living from gardening/landscaping/growing etc?

Have any of you done a horticulture course and how did you find it?

Do you think there are many opportunities in Ireland for a decent career in a horticulture related area?

Hi Bootsy
I think if you're looking at horticulture you need to take a long term prospective as its not a thriving area at the moment. I'm making a living at it but I've been doing it for a long time and have very varied experience I can draw on.
I know you've started a hort course so maybe a follow on course in something more adaptable may be useful. I did a Bsc in Landscape Design in England and found it extremely practical and versatile. Any design course teaches about tackling problems and developing creative solutions. A Bsc gives you the basics you'll need for a lot of environmental and ecological work. I've been able to get work in garden design and construction-landscape architecture- ecology projects- environmental restoration and event management. I've also done playground and skatepark design. Friends with the same qualification have gone into engineering jobs, organic farming, CAD operators, surveying. One mate designs walking and mountain biking trails in exotic locations around the world. I say this only as a way to show the possible options other than pure horticulture.
Anyway, Best of luck with the horticulture. Even if you don't get work immediately its something you can really fall in love with and you'll have for life.

paddy147

Fetac level 5 will get you into the Botanic Gardens (depending on places).

Bootsy.

Thanks lads, very helpful

greenpilot

There is another aspect of the Industry which is the Garden Centre Retail part. I qualified as a Greenkeeper in Scotland before working in The K Club for 10 years. I then moved to the West and began working in a small Garden Centre then moving up to bigger companies. I did a Diploma in Retail Management through Derry City University then went on to Manage two garden Centres for a local Co-op. As said above, there are many different routes.

Paul

paddy147

Botanic Gardens was nice yesterday.
I was up there enjoying a cuppa tea in the cafe and the looking at the various flowers,and alot of the students were geting "hands on" lessons outside in the lovely warm weather.

creedp

paddy147 wrote: »

Theres work out there,but its tough going.

A good few builders and landscapers/general groundskeepers/gardeners who have gone t1ts up,now think they are professional garden designers and horticulturalists and thats what she is competing aginst nowadays.

People who think they know what they are doing,but dont actually have a clue,but who are doing crap jobs and making a fast buck.:mad:

These are the sort of people who take the money,plant shyte and then dont bother to call back to the client 3 or 6 months down the line to make sure that no plants have died,and if anything didnt take,then its replaced free of charge..

Not getting at horticularists as a profession here because I know that the cost of doing a job is not simply the cost of the material/plants and a profit but involves the whole spectrum of business related costs but it would seem to me that with a lot of people experiencing reductions in disposable incomes it will be more difficult to afford the costs of hiring a professional to carry out work like this. By the way this is not limited to horticularists or landscaping in particular but applies acroosthe board. Many people are turning to the DIY approach and sourcing plants/designs/expertise from the internet/DIY stores/horticularists publications and attempting to do this work themselves. They may not always turn out a professional result but they may gain a whole lot of enjoyment from this work that would more than make up for the lack of finesse in the job. Also its good for you health both mental and physical to get out in the fresh air and do a bit of physical work particularly if you have a office based job and a commute.

The only advise in this context to the OP is to ensure that you provide a good customer service including as mentioned above follow up on your work. Too often I have heard family/friends/colleagus complain about slip shod work which might look great initially but after a few months has lost its lustre. Repeat custome and word of mouth goes a long way in this area.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do because its nerve wracking these days taking decisions like that (for some of us anyway:))

Ophiopogon

creedp wrote: »

Not getting at horticularists as a profession here because I know that the cost of doing a job is not simply the cost of the material/plants and a profit but involves the whole spectrum of business related costs but it would seem to me that with a lot of people experiencing reductions in disposable incomes it will be more difficult to afford the costs of hiring a professional to carry out work like this. By the way this is not limited to horticularists or landscaping in particular but applies acroosthe board. Many people are turning to the DIY approach and sourcing plants/designs/expertise from the internet/DIY stores/horticularists publications and attempting to do this work themselves. They may not always turn out a professional result but they may gain a whole lot of enjoyment from this work that would more than make up for the lack of finesse in the job. Also its good for you health both mental and physical to get out in the fresh air and do a bit of physical work particularly if you have a office based job and a commute.

The only advise in this context to the OP is to ensure that you provide a good customer service including as mentioned above follow up on your work. Too often I have heard family/friends/colleagus complain about slip shod work which might look great initially but after a few months has lost its lustre. Repeat custome and word of mouth goes a long way in this area.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do because its nerve wracking these days taking decisions like that (for some of us anyway:))

You may call this semantics but it gets on my nerves...not all horticulturists are landscapers/designers.

Also, landscaping is not an area I work in but I know there is still a lot of people who do not like to work in their garden even if you tell them the health benefits of working outside or how much fun you think it is. People are looking at DIY more but they still need/want help which if your clever about your marketing could work in your favour.

creedp

Ophiopogon wrote: »

You may call this semantics but it gets on my nerves...not all horticulturists are landscapers/designers.

Also, landscaping is not an area I work in but I know there is still a lot of people who do not like to work in their garden even if you tell them the health benefits of working outside or how much fun you think it is. People are looking at DIY more but they still need/want help which if your clever about your marketing could work in your favour.

It might also be a degree of ignornance on my behalf as to what is the dividing line of expertise here:) I fully agree with you that some people won't do DIY and maybe more shouldn't:D. This would apply to a lot of areas in which DIY is becoming popular. Personally with the exception of cutting the grass I would not be a garden enthuastist but many of my friends are and more so in recent years - it could also be my age profile of course. All I was saying is with a shrinking market good customer service is important in building up a business. In some cases that was forgotten or slipped down the order of priority in recent years.

Corsendonk

creedp wrote: »

It might also be a degree of ignornance on my behalf as to what is the dividing line of expertise here:) I fully agree with you that some people won't do DIY and maybe more shouldn't:D. This would apply to a lot of areas in which DIY is becoming popular. Personally with the exception of cutting the grass I would not be a garden enthuastist but many of my friends are and more so in recent years - it could also be my age profile of course. All I was saying is with a shrinking market good customer service is important in building up a business. In some cases that was forgotten or slipped down the order of priority in recent years.

As the previous poster pointed out to you, I think your confusing all horticulture jobs with landscapers, garden centres or the fellow someone pays to cut the bushes and the grass. Horticulture also covers commercial horticulture, the guys that grow your Irish fruit and vegetable. People still have to eat even in a recession:rolleyes:

Commercial Horticulture or its old term market gardeners is actually dying out in Ireland because when times were good the majority of students switched to amenity horticulture. Now that growing your own produce is all the rage hopefully it will get people once more interested and specific courses will be offered.

OP the below link of employment areas in the industry might help you. The stats are a little old do.
http://www.bordbia.ie/industryinfo/hort/pages/default.aspx

paddy147

Go to the likes of the walled victorian vegetable gardens in the Phoenix Park or else the Botanic Gardens,if you want to see what qualified professional horticulturalists do.

I was there today.:)

creedp

Corsendonk wrote: »

As the previous poster pointed out to you, I think your confusing all horticulture jobs with landscapers, garden centres or the fellow someone pays to cut the bushes and the grass. Horticulture also covers commercial horticulture, the guys that grow your Irish fruit and vegetable. People still have to eat even in a recession:rolleyes:

Commercial Horticulture or its old term market gardeners is actually dying out in Ireland because when times were good the majority of students switched to amenity horticulture. Now that growing your own produce is all the rage hopefully it will get people once more interested and specific courses will be offered.

OP the below link of employment areas in the industry might help you. The stats are a little old do.
http://www.bordbia.ie/industryinfo/hort/pages/default.aspx

Yes you are correct of course ... the previous poster pointed that out to me already but then also referred to landscaping and how not everybody wanted to DIY this type of work ..it was to this point I was responding to in my subsequent post:rolleyes:

Im assuming you are a horticulturalist and that is why you are anxious to set me straight. By the way, and of course I could be wrong, I wasn't aware that any profession is immune to the effects of poor customer service and the recession. You are right again that people must eat:rolleyes: but its the mix of foods which might becomes an issue when money is tight. If so then expensive fresh foods will certaintly take a hit in favour of cheaper processed/imported foods which are less prone to wastage etc. I try to buy fresh fruit/veg and organic if possible but sometimes the high price and poor packaging/sorting of these foods is offputting. So the moral of the story is treat your customer right, particularly in a recession, and you may retain more that you would otherwise.

paddy147

creedp wrote: »

Yes you are correct of course ... the previous poster pointed that out to me already but then also referred to landscaping and how not everybody wanted to DIY this type of work ..it was to this point I was responding to in my subsequent post:rolleyes:

Im assuming you are a horticulturalist and that is why you are anxious to set me straight. By the way, and of course I could be wrong, I wasn't aware that any profession is immune to the effects of poor customer service and the recession. You are right again that people must eat:rolleyes: but its the mix of foods which might becomes an issue when money is tight. If so then expensive fresh foods will certaintly take a hit in favour of cheaper processed/imported foods which are less prone to wastage etc. I try to buy fresh fruit/veg and organic if possible but sometimes the high price and poor packaging/sorting of these foods is offputting. So the moral of the story is treat your customer right, particularly in a recession, and you may retain more that you would otherwise.

Grow you,re own fruit and veg then.Very easy to do and you can great food yields too,for you and you,re family.
Thats what my girlfriend does,and shes a professional horticulturalist too.

creedp

paddy147 wrote: »

Grow you,re own fruit and veg then.Very easy to do and you can great food yields too,for you and you,re family.
Thats what my girlfriend does,and shes a professional horticulturalist too.

One of these days:)

Corsendonk

creedp wrote: »

Yes you are correct of course ... the previous poster pointed that out to me already but then also referred to landscaping and how not everybody wanted to DIY this type of work ..it was to this point I was responding to in my subsequent post:rolleyes:

Im assuming you are a horticulturalist and that is why you are anxious to set me straight. By the way, and of course I could be wrong, I wasn't aware that any profession is immune to the effects of poor customer service and the recession. You are right again that people must eat:rolleyes: but its the mix of foods which might becomes an issue when money is tight. If so then expensive fresh foods will certaintly take a hit in favour of cheaper processed/imported foods which are less prone to wastage etc. I try to buy fresh fruit/veg and organic if possible but sometimes the high price and poor packaging/sorting of these foods is offputting. So the moral of the story is treat your customer right, particularly in a recession, and you may retain more that you would otherwise.

What are you on about? First of all most organic produce in Ireland is imported because we don't have the climate for 365 days production. Cheaper Processed Produce? Are you talking about expensive salad packs and chopped fruits? Imported Less prone to wastage produce? How would it be less prone to wastage? It has a longer route to your kitchen.

Great value to be had in supermarkets on Irish produce, the farmgate price is normally 30-40% of the supermarket so maybe you should be talking about customer services with your local supermarket rather than having a pop at farmers/market gardeners. People just change their produce buying and eating habits in a recession. So now people are back buying the humble large bag of spuds rather than the ready meal of mash or potato dauphonise. People eat more carrots, leeks and onions because they are eating more cheaper meat dishes like stews and hotpots.

creedp

Corsendonk wrote: »

What are you on about? First of all most organic produce in Ireland is imported because we don't have the climate for 365 days production. Cheaper Processed Produce? Are you talking about expensive salad packs and chopped fruits? Imported Less prone to wastage produce? How would it be less prone to wastage? It has a longer route to your kitchen.

Great value to be had in supermarkets on Irish produce, the farmgate price is normally 30-40% of the supermarket so maybe you should be talking about customer services with your local supermarket rather than having a pop at farmers/market gardeners. People just change their produce buying and eating habits in a recession. So now people are back buying the humble large bag of spuds rather than the ready meal of mash or potato dauphonise. People eat more carrots, leeks and onions because they are eating more cheaper meat dishes like stews and hotpots.

Calm down a little bit .. what started off with bit of advice to the OP from what I have already agreed was a confused view of the work of a horticulturalist ends up in a row over the price of vegetable in a supermarket and what people eat in a recession. You may be right when you say people are leaving their fancy processed dishes on the Marks and Spenser shelves and going back to the humble spud and fresh veg but I think that is more confined to a certain sector of the population. There are many others who feel they can't afford to buy fresh produce (irrespective of where it is supplied from or purchased) and make do with cheap processed foods which have longer shelf life and therefore don't go off. Last time I looked fresh food is expensive and unless you buy it in bulk even more so. Again, hey who am I to have an opinion!

By the way just for the record Im was not having a go at anyone in particular here ..seems to me the only person having a go at anyone is yourself. But Im glad to hear from you there is no room for improvement on the horticulturalist front ..

Corsendonk

creedp wrote: »

Calm down a little bit .. what started off with bit of advice to the OP from what I have already agreed was a confused view of the work of a horticulturalist ends up in a row over the price of vegetable in a supermarket and what people eat in a recession. You may be right when you say people are leaving their fancy processed dishes on the Marks and Spenser shelves and going back to the humble spud and fresh veg but I think that is more confined to a certain sector of the population. There are many others who feel they can't afford to buy fresh produce (irrespective of where it is supplied from or purchased) and make do with cheap processed foods which have longer shelf life and therefore don't go off. Last time I looked fresh food is expensive and unless you buy it in bulk even more so. Again, hey who am I to have an opinion!

By the way just for the record Im was not having a go at anyone in particular here ..seems to me the only person having a go at anyone is yourself. But Im glad to hear from you there is no room for improvement on the horticulturalist front ..

First you started on landscape gardeners then moved it to the price of fruit and veg and poor customer service. There is always room for improvement in every sector.

muckyhands

Bootsy. wrote: »

I'm just curious and wondering if anyone here earns a living from gardening/landscaping/growing etc?

Have any of you done a horticulture course and how did you find it?

Do you think there are many opportunities in Ireland for a decent career in a horticulture related area?

Im a professional horticulturist trained in the Botanic Gardens. Started off with FETAC, then Bsc Horticulture.

It can be monotonous at times but if you have a passion for all things green you wont mind.:)

Working in the fresh air and getting dirty- what more could a girl ask for.:D

dardevle

muckyhands wrote: »

Im a professional horticulturist trained in the Botanic Gardens. Started off with FETAC, then Bsc Horticulture.

not to go off topic but it sounds like you have a lot in common with Paddy147's better half.;)


.....

muckyhands

dardevle wrote: »

not to go off topic but it sounds like you have a lot in common with Paddy147's better half.;)


.....

Paddy who????;);)

paddy147

dardevle wrote: »

not to go off topic but it sounds like you have a lot in common with Paddy147's better half.;)


.....

What ever makes you say that??

paddy147

muckyhands wrote: »

Im a professional horticulturist trained in the Botanic Gardens. Started off with FETAC, then Bsc Horticulture.

It can be monotonous at times but if you have a passion for all things green you wont mind.:)

Working in the fresh air and getting dirty- what more could a girl ask for.:D

No way,small world.
My girlfriend went to the Botanic Gardens too.Great place indeed.:)

muckyhands

paddy147 wrote: »

No way,small world.
My girlfriend went to the Botanic Gardens too.Great place indeed.:)

It certainly was.:D

paddy147

muckyhands wrote: »

It certainly was.:D

Yeah,myself and the girlfriend were only up there in the Botanics,the other day,sitting out in the sunshine with a cuppa tea,enjoying all the flowers and watching some of the students getting outdoor lectures and classes.

Lovely place indeed.:)

The fully restored and refurbed glass houses and hot houses are a work of art too.We had a look in the large hot houses,the size of the bannana plants was unreal 35-40 feet tall.:eek:

But some of the bannanas didnt do too well this year,by the looks of them.

muckyhands

paddy147 wrote: »

Yeah,myself and the girlfriend were only up there in the Botanics,the other day,sitting out in the sunshine with a cuppa tea,enjoying all the flowers and watching some of the students getting outdoor lectures and classes.

Lovely place indeed.:)

The fully restored and refurbed glass houses and hot houses are a work of art too.We had a look in the large hot houses,the size of the bannana plants was unreal 35-40 feet tall.:eek:

But some of the bannanas didnt do too well this year,by the looks of them.

Its all coming back to me now.;)

paddy147

muckyhands wrote: »

Its all coming back to me now.;)

Why,did you spend much time up there yourself,do you still visit there these days??:)

dardevle

.....


ahhh jeez....get a hotel room:p



......

paddy147

dardevle wrote: »

.....


ahhh jeez....get a hotel room:p



......

For what??















I have a house.

muckyhands

paddy147 wrote: »

For what??



















I have a house

Shouldn't you be doing the dishes or something then?:P

All that your missus does for ya.:D

paddy147

muckyhands wrote: »

Shouldn't you be doing the dishes or something then?:P

All that your missus does for ya.:D

Ah shyte,Im busted.
















I was thinking of you though,and left the dishes for you,as I know you love doing them.:P
But they are done now,as someone had to get up and do them,as they werent going to wash themselves.


I'll tell you this much though,that new dishwasher I just got,is the mutts nutts indeed.;):p





So I see and hear you are a professional horticulturalist.:D

paddy147

dardevle wrote: »

not to go off topic but it sounds like you have a lot in common with Paddy147's better half.;)


.....

I,ll give you one thing,you are sharp.;):)

muckyhands

paddy147 wrote: »

Ah shyte,Im busted.
















I was thinking of you though,and left the dishes for you,as I know you love doing them.:P
But they are done now,as someone had to get up and do them,as they werent going to wash themselves.


I'll tell you this much though,that new dishwasher I just got,is the mutts nutts indeed.;):p





So I see and hear you are a professional horticulturalist.:D

You wished I did:D

paddy147

muckyhands wrote: »

You wished I did:D

All I can say is..............Thank god that the dishes,pots and pans dont have latin names,because Im allready confused the fcuk with regards the way you talk in latin about all the trees,plants and flowers.:D

How the hell you can know and remember all those latin names and even speak that language is beyond me.:eek:

muckyhands

:rolleyes:

paddy147 wrote: »

All I can say is..............Thank god that the dishes,pots and pans dont have latin names,because Im allready confused the fcuk with regards the way you talk in latin about all the trees,plants and flowers.:D

How the hell you can know and remember all those latin names and even speak that language is beyond me.:eek:

What can I say!

At least you know what a pot and a pan and a dish is:rolleyes::P

muckyhands

So anyway....

s8n

dardevle wrote: »

.....


ahhh jeez....get a hotel room:p



......

You never answered my question on the other thread. What's the deal with all your posts starting and ending with ....... ?

Pretty retarded!!!

dardevle

s8n wrote: »

You never answered my question on the other thread. What's the deal with all your posts starting and ending with ....... ?

Pretty retarded!!!

...so how do you earn/propose to earn a living from horticulture or related areas?


......

paddy147

Im not one to judge on how people post (I have bad spelling alot of the time),but it hardly matters what or how a person starts and ends a post,when they are giving out advice.

Surely the advice is the most important part of the post.


Just my 2 cents worth though.

Regards.:)

Theprogardener

It is tough, profit margins are at about 7-11% if you are lucky. Massive investment needed to gear-up (we have €500k + of equipment). Between insurance, transport, plant, equipment, wages, rent, tax, vat the list goes on and on..... but you know what? It does not matter, dont worry about above, just get on with it. You "will" make mistakes, you will under quote, and you will do jobs at a loss, but its all about learning. know one can really teach you the gut feeling. In any journey it all starts with a first step. Are you afraid of failure? I am too!
There has never being a better time to start a new business than now. If you can make it now, you will be in such a strong position when the up-turn gets stronger. i personally think we have turned the corner, wages are manageable, rents are realistic and government here and abroad are awake to new business.
So to answer your question, yes it is possible to make a living, but its tough. For self employed its not a 9-5 job. You WILL work like you never have before for any employer, cause if you dont, the only person you are letting down is yourself.
Regards
Ps I am having fun again in business (you have to love what you do)

creedp

Corsendonk wrote: »

First you started on landscape gardeners then moved it to the price of fruit and veg and poor customer service. There is always room for improvement in every sector.

I know when I'm beat ..