Gardening Gifts FAQ:
i would love to work with plants pt, not selling them but taking care of them somehow…yet with no experience i have no clue how to begin. any ideas?
i would love to work with plants pt, not selling them but taking care of them somehow…yet with no experience i have no clue how to begin. any ideas?
{ 9 comments… read them below or add one }
First, go to work for a nursery and lean all you can.
Join a Master Gardner’s class. Nurseries can help you find classes.
By then you will have all the information you need.
i would start by get experience
If you want to start a career in this type of business, you need to do some type of study on what would work in your area. I have a close friend who done absolutely fantastic in the business for 4-5 years, and then on the 6th year, she expanded and a Wal-mart opened up and she went bankrupt.
Well, you can go to a local greenhouse and start at a beginner level job, take some horticulture classes in a Master gardener course, and read every book you can get your hand on regarding gardening. You may have to sell in some seasons, but more of the work would be done in the growing houses. Have fun!
Don’t be apprehensive about selling . . . it’s one of the best things you can do in ANY field. When people buy things . . . especially plants . . . . they have tons of questions. They say the best way to learn about something is to teach it . . . which is exactly what you do when you sell.
Go to a local nursery or landscaping company and apply for a landscaping crew job. Very hard work, entry level, but you’ll learn.
And at home experiment with your own plants. what will root in water, what won’t, learn their botanical and common names, learn scientific description (dark green leathery opposite ovate leaves on a bulbous succulent stem - name that plant)
green side up
I would start with growing some plants myself. I started gardening years ago and there are a lot of things to learn. I read books and asked questions at the local nurseries or my aunt who is a mastergardener. You can also volunteer at P-patch garden, if there is such a program in your city. Attending classes helps, of course, but you should try and experiment yourself with all kinds of different plants. It’s fun but hard work.
The Master Gardener program sponsored by most county agricultural agents is an excellent way to learn a great deal about plants in a reasonable time. Also once you get the basics, they are available to help answer specific questions as they arise.
You can get an associates or bachelor’s degree in horticulture. That would be a way to get your foot in the door and doing more than entry level labor.
I have a degree in forestry. I have taken care of horticultural displays (azalea gardens, rose gardens, herb garden, perennial gardens, arboretums, etc.) for a city parks department. Most of my coworkers there had degrees in horticulture. I have also worked in nature parks and now I work on nursery growing millions of tree seedlings a year.