Andree talks about hands on training (1:42)

I suppose my role in the nursery is as the horticultural trainer.  Yeah, I think it was a role that just came about quite unexpectedly.  So, yeah, the nursery had been running for a long time but it had been let go and I ended up in here and saw the potential and so, yeah, just been spending time bringing it back to life, really. 

Okay, so with the ladies who work here, what sort of training do you give them to work in the gardens, in the nursery? 

Well it starts from – from – from scratch really.  It’s – it’s training the girls on how to grow and propagate and grow and look after plants that can be taken on to, you know, different levels, to landscaping projects and things like that.  We’ve also got a food garden here that we do a lot of training on how to grow fruit and veges, and that starts from scratch as well.  So it’s very hands on.  Its, you know, getting dirty, getting down to the real basics and starting from scratch.  I, you know, I really feel like we have made quite a success with the girls that have come through here.  There are some that come and don’t – don’t stay.  It’s hot, hard work and I think that puts a lot of people off.  But the ones that have stayed, I have to say I’ve had quite a success with them.  But like I say, I don’t sit down with pen and paper and a board and get them doing written writing and things like that.  It’s all hands on.  It’s all demonstration and hands on. 

And practice. 

And that’s the way they – and practice, yeah, and that’s the way they like it.  That’s the – that’s – I see it as the success there.