Case studies: Horticultural therapist: Laura

Laura completed the Royal Horticultural Society Certificate in Horticulture.

I work as a freelance horticultural therapist. I used to work as a full-time nurse, but when I became a mother, I left my job and got into gardening. I was also working as a part-time florist. Combining those two areas, I became interested in horticulture and, more specifically, in horticultural therapy.

I completed the Royal Horticultural Society Certificate in Horticulture and did practical gardening at Wisley gardens. At the same time, I was volunteering for a charity helping the elderly. For four years, I then worked on various horticultural therapy projects helping the elderly as well as young offenders. The last six months, I have worked as a freelance horticultural therapist with various clients from children to patients who have suffered stroke and are in rehabilitation programmes. I work together with therapists and other support workers.

My studies at the RHS helped a lot in learning practical horticultural skills such as plant maintenance and garden planning. They also involved lots of practice in gardens. My volunteer work was invaluable and very inspiring as it offered me the unique opportunity to use my skills to help other people. The RHS Certificate, together with my experience, helped me to secure my first position as a horticultural therapist. There are very few vacancies in the UK, and you need to have the right qualifications and experience to get one of them.

Horticultural therapy is more popular in the US and Australia than in the UK, but it is getting more and more recognised here. There are a few therapeutic gardens across the UK, and there are horticultural projects in hospitals, prisons and rehabilitation centres. If you are interested in a career as a horticultural therapist, apart from the technical skills, you will need lots of enthusiasm and patience. You will also need to be able to guide and inspire others, be optimistic and enjoy working with people.

A typical day includes gardening sessions to either train or provide recreation for my clients. I take lots of notes about what we do in each session, and I plan ahead for the next ones. Activities continue from week to week. Early in the spring, we plant seeds. The clients learn the needs of their plants and how to thin and transplant. Flower collecting and preserving are activities they enjoy most, and we use material from these activities in craft activities during the winter months. My job is varied and interesting. The most enjoyable part of my job is working outdoors and getting satisfaction from helping and encouraging others to use and improve their skills. There is nothing better than seeing people progressing as a result of your help. The less enjoyable part is sometimes the level of stress when things go wrong or when clients require maximum supervision. I find my job very therapeutic for me as I enjoy the calm and quiet of a garden, the colours, the fragrances and textures. Horticultural therapy is a learning journey for the therapist as well as the client. I really love every aspect of my job, and I would like to continue my career as a horticultural therapist working more with trauma/rehab services. I would consider going back to full-time employment in a few years and perhaps getting involved in training or horticultural projects for hospitals or rehabilitation centres.