New National Trust for Scotland gardener, Tim Keyworth (20), is the latest home-grown horticulturalist to join the conservation charity’s expert gardens team.
New National Trust for Scotland gardener, Tim Keyworth (20), is the latest home-grown horticulturalist to join the conservation charity’s expert gardens team.
Tim, who is from Leicester, took up a permanent, full-time gardening post at the Trust’s Leith Hall in Huntly, Aberdeenshire this week. He has just completed a National Trust for Scotland’s Craftsman Gardener Award at Threave Garden in Dumfries and Galloway.
The Threave-based course is now recruiting six students for its September 2008 intake, so other newly-qualified gardeners can take advantage of the top-quality training that has benefited Tim and many other gardeners.
The year long course is ideal for students with National Diplomas, Higher National Diplomas who want to gain practical gardens experience, or for recent university graduates who are looking for work experience and a structured programme of learning.
It lasts for one year and provides a comprehensive training programme for gardeners, using Threave’s stunning 63 acres as a classroom. Topics covered include:
· Soils composts and manures.
· Glasshouse cultivation.
· Propagation.
· Garden design.
· Lawn establishment and care.
The course is highly-respected in the horticultural world and many gardeners are keen to study under the expert staff at Threave. In fact, Tim was so determined that Threave was the perfect place for him he waited a year for his place. He said:
“I studied for my National Diploma at Brooksby College in Leicester and I always had my eye on Threave, but I missed the 2006 intake. So, I volunteered for a year to gain more experience until the next opportunity at Threave came along.”
The training course is a great start for young gardeners, helping many into full-time employment, just like Tim, who secured the Leith Hall post as his year-long apprenticeship was concluding.
Head of Gardens and Designed Landscapes for the National Trust for Scotland, Mr Jan Haenraets said:
“These courses are great opportunities for green-fingered students and graduates. The Trust has been training gardeners at Threave for almost 50 years and we are committed to providing a quality learning experience.
“Threave Garden is one of Scotland’s most impressive landscaped environments and includes formal gardens, as well as woodland areas, which means there is always something new to learn about. Trainees also benefit from the experience and coaching of some of the Trust’s most expert gardeners.
“Working towards the Craftsman Gardener Award is a great step in any gardener’s career. In fact, many Trust gardeners are graduates of the programme and are already involved in passing their skills on to the next generation.”
Students undertaking the Craftsman Gardener Award are supported by a National Trust for Scotland bursary during their training and accommodation is also provided.
For more information or to make an application, contact Veronica Barrington on 0131 243 9440, or email
vbarrington@nts.org.uk. The closing date for applications is 1 August 2008 and interviews will be held shortly thereafter.