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60 Second Interview: Horticulturalist
As the man in charge of Wyevale Gardens Centres' website, Nicholas gets to combine his online expertise with his passion for gardening. In this interview, he tells the story of how he got to where he is today, as well as sharing advice on how to get a horticulture job.
Name: Nicholas Roeber
Company: Wyevale Garden Centres
Industry: Hospitality, leisure and tourism
What is your job? Online horticultural expert and manager
How long have you worked here? Four years and two months
Education
University: University of East Anglia
Degree subject: Environmental sciences
A-levels: Biology, chemistry, geography
1. What was your very first job?
My first job was assistant gardener for the Royal Parks at Regents Park, London.
2. What did you want to do when you were at school?
I always wanted to work outside with nature.
3. How did you find out about the industry?
I didn’t really find out about the industry, as such. I started working as a gardener at Regents Park as a fill-in. I had been gardening since I was a boy and it was easy, but I realised soon after I started working at the park that this was what I wanted to do.
4. How did you get into a horticulture job?
I have a background in gardening, as I’ve enjoyed the activity since being a child – both of my parents were highly skilled and passionate gardeners. I fell into the industry, but I quickly realised that there was a huge amount that I did not know about gardening. Fortunately, I was lucky to learn from some highly experienced gardeners and pick up some tips and tricks along the way.
The gardening qualifications now on offer are excellent, and I would strongly recommend them if you are serious about horticulture job. Even if you aren’t interested in the practical side of gardening, horticultural knowledge is a real advantage if you are looking at the retail side of the industry as well.
Previously, I ran my own garden design and build business before moving across into the retail sector.
5. What is a typical day like?
I start work at 8am after a 6-mile cycle from my home. We are a small team that works closely together. I have two part-time staff that I am directly responsible for; each is a horticultural specialist.
They write plant copy, compile plant information for upload onto the website, audit and check all content and contribute to the content we have online. I am, in effect, the horticultural expert of the team, so I am the point of contact for a variety of elements of the business: merchandising, images and content.
6. What’s the best thing about your your job?
I am incredibly lucky to be doing a job that happens to be something I love.
7. What is the most challenging thing about your job?
I have been very lucky to date in that I am not accountable for the sales! This is normally the key stress in retail, where making sales and profit is crucial. For me, the most challenging element of what I do is making sure that I get the job done on time! I am naturally a perfectionist and can sometimes take too long if I am invested in a project.
8. What advice do you have for people who want to do a horticulture job?
The skills required to succeed in garden retail are fundamentally the same that are needed for success in any retail sector, with some caveats.
The qualities include being a hard worker, self-motivated and tenacious. It also requires being a good communicator with social and management skills.
Intellectual intelligence, emotional intelligence, and common sense are all extremely important, but overall, you must possess a love of gardening. You will only be able to succeed if you understand the seasons, the joy of growing etc.
9. What things do you wish you’d known before starting your career?
Make sure you have a plan. It does not matter if the plan changes, but a plan is really important. It provides you with a point of reference and comparison, and it forces you to challenge yourself, initiating an internal debate and the sense that you are in charge of your own destiny. Any career worth doing will be tough, stressful and difficult, so learn to be honest about your own strengths and weaknesses.
10. Where would you like to be in five years?
I would like to be the creative brand director for Wyevale Garden centres across all channels. We will see!
Nicholas feels very lucky that he has been able to combine his passion with his career. But by thinking about how your strengths and interests could lead to a career, you don't have to leave it up to chance. Check out our advice on choosing a career path.
