My gardening journey must have started at an early age and my mum and grandparents were keen gardeners but it wasn’t until I was about 25 in a rented house that I found my own space to start planting pots and hanging baskets. Soon after I moved into a council maisonette with space for balcony gardening and a small strip of ground beside the maisonette. This was where my love affair with gardening really began. The council permitted a small strip garden as long as it had communal access. Soon other residents were asking for the same and between us we ended up with about 40 strip gardens.

 

There was a lot of enthusiasm in the community and we started a children’s gardening club and had activity days where residents could plant their own pots and baskets. With the support of a local plant shop giving us the unsaleable plants and that of the council the community managed to achieve a ‘Gold’ in Sheffield in Bloom.

 

I didn’t want to do gardening as a job as I enjoyed it too much and worried it would take the enjoyment away so I got a job at the local post office sorting and delivering. During my deliveries I would often talk to customers about changes and improvements that might be made to their gardens. Eventually so many people said I should try working as a gardener so I went part time at the post office and started a part time gardening business reaching customers by bike with my tools and compost in a rucksack.

 

Very quickly ‘Poppies Gardening Services’—as the business was called after my dog—became a flourishing business. I gave up my work at the post office and went full time gardening. Up to this point I had been self-taught by reading books and using the internet.

 

Nic joined me and soon took over hedge cutting and quickly became a valued member of the team. Matt joined us later with his youth and enthusiasm for learning. The three of us have become a solid core team with Adrian joining us to help with the labouring.

 

I’ve gone on to be trained to RHS Level 3. Having a background in occupational therapy and a year ago I began leading gardening clubs at a local care and nursing home.