How to Turn Your Love of Gardening Into a Career

If you love your garden and enjoy planting, weeding, pruning, and doing other garden-related jobs, you should consider pursuing a gardening career. Doing work in the natural environment and living an outdoor lifestyle can be very interesting. Additionally, a career in gardening can be rewarding and also life-changing.

There is a higher demand for gardening services as the demand for new gardens increases, given the high number of houses built in a year. In 2017 alone, homeowners in the U.S. started 1.2 conventional home builds and completed 1.15 million. But how do you turn your love of gardening into a career? Read on to find out.

1. Grow Your Own Garden

Growing your garden is the thing that surely motivates you to pursue a gardening career. However, if you want to turn your love for gardening into a career but have not planted anything yet, it's time to start growing your garden.

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to gardening. You can start planting with any little space you have, be it a balcony, container garden, or windowsill. However, a yard or garden would be best because a larger space allows you to grow many plant varieties.

When you start growing, try planting your favorite plants first. Next, try planting succulents, herbs, flowers, and edibles. Growing your garden allows you to experiment with various plant species and learn more about them in the process.

2. Volunteer in Community Gardening

Once you have grown your garden, it's time to move a notch higher by volunteering in community gardening. Volunteering in community gardening has many benefits. It allows you to interact with professional gardeners and other aspiring gardeners. You can learn more about plants and gardening practices by discussing them.

Moreover, volunteering in a community garden allows you to learn about various gardening practices, including mulching, composting, and making seedlings. You can also learn about organic gardening, wildlife gardening, and other types of gardening.

3. Do Lots of Research

Another viable way to turn your love of gardening into a career is to become curious and do lots of research. A great wealth of resources, people, and online tools can help you start your gardening career.

Look for books, magazines, newspapers, and other resources containing gardening information. Reading these resources will give you a lot of insight into gardening. Look for professional gardeners and horticultural experts in your area to be your mentors. It would be best to follow professional gardeners and designers on social media for more knowledge and inspiration.

Also, search for gardening workshops, tours, and talks online in your free time. Using resources at your disposal will increase your knowledge and help you successfully turn your gardening hobby into a career.

4. Get Qualified

Consider enrolling for a full-time course or a part-time training workshop to enable you to get qualified as a professional gardener. You can do many courses to get qualified, including pursuing a degree in horticulture or enrolling in a Work and Retrain As a Gardener Scheme (WRAGS). Such courses will provide theoretical and practical knowledge and skills relevant to gardening.

5. Look for Apprenticeship

Looking for a gardening apprenticeship is a great way of advancing your knowledge and skills. The apprenticeship may involve maintaining gardens, parks, and golf courses. It may also involve landscaping large and small projects like hardscapes and wells. Research shows that there are more than 15.9 million water wells for all purposes that serve the U.S. Apprenticeship will also enable you to learn about basic wages and provide you with development opportunities.

Statistics indicate that approximately 70% of all business partnerships fail. Fortunately, you can start a gardening business as a sole proprietor. Use these tips to turn your love of gardening into a career. Contact a professional gardener today if you have any questions or need help to get you started.