My rookie era: I wanted to think about something that wasn't grim, so I enrolled in gardening school

"We had a family veggie patch growing up, and even in share houses I've gardened. I've always been interested in what you can grow fruit, vegetables, flowers. All good gardeners know you need good dirt, but understanding why is a different thing, and I'd been thinking about learning more for a long time. I researched short courses on permaculture, but found they were really expensive. Studying at a university can cost even more, and you can only learn so much from reading gardening blogs."

"When I found out I could do a free Tafe (technical and further education) course, I was really excited. I was worried my existing qualifications would exclude me because I have a diploma in writing and editing, but it's something that's offered free to anyone willing to invest the time. My rookie era: nobody sounds good when they first play a violin This year I signed up for a part-time certificate III qualification in horticulture, and started attending classes one night a week after work and every Saturday."

Growing up with a family vegetable patch created a sustained interest in growing fruit, vegetables and flowers. High costs for permaculture courses and university study made formal training difficult to access. A free TAFE certificate III in horticulture offered an affordable pathway despite unrelated prior qualifications. The part-time course meets weeknights and Saturdays and requires homework and consistent attention. Classmates come from diverse backgrounds, share practical advice, and support one another. Training covers safe use of garden power tools and detailed plant identification, which reshapes understanding of plant relationships and enables helping friends and family with gardens.

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