Study horticulture course al fresco

Are you tired of being at home or stuck in an office all day? Do you long for fresh air in your lungs and the sun on your back as you work? If so and you've leanings towards horticulture, then a diploma in horticulture might be the key to your career change.

Teagasc accredits the three-year diploma in horticulture which is taught by Dr Paul Cusack and his team in the splendid surroundings of the National Botanic Gardens in Glasnevin, Dublin. The course has a good track record of accepting mature students and about 50 per cent of the 150 students currently going through the programme are over 25.

"We have no upper age limit and we find that mature students do very well on the course," says Cusack. "We get a lot of interest from students in their 30s. They seem to have arrived at a point where they feel there should be more to life, especially if they've been stuck in the same job for some time." There are no course fees and students receive a small allowance during their training. The course if full-time and approximately 50 students are accepted each year. In year one, students spend most of their time on a foundation programme based in the Botanic Gardens while in year two they get to spread their wings with external work placements. They can opt for placements at home or abroad. Year three sees them back in Glasnevin honing their plant identification skills and working on areas such as design, management and garden construction.

The National Botanic gardens has been training students in horticulture since 1812. Students combine study with working in the gardens under supervision and, according to Cusack, "it's a very nice atmosphere in which to learn. The surroundings and the environment are exceptional, the Botanics are the college in the broadest sense, and we also have a good library and computer facilities for students." Students who complete the course opt for careers in different aspects of the broader horticultural field. Some will go into landscaping and garden centres while others go to work in national parks, nurseries and horticultural therapy units attached to caring organisations. Anyone interested in applying for a place on next September's intake needs to have their application in before June 2nd. Application forms are available from Teagasc offices or from the National Botanic Gardens at telephone (01) 837 4388.