This is a question I’ve been asking myself more and more recently, even though it has been in the back of my head for at least the last eighteen months to two years. While work can’t always be a laugh a minute, why is it there is the expectation that it has to be endured and those that claim to love their work are either a bit crazy or aren’t quite telling the truth?

Don’t get me wrong, I love plants and all that they are. The but comes from the fact that when I’m working, it is the same every week. On each day of the week I’m in the same area, doing the same jobs as I was the week before, knowing it will be the same in the weeks following on.

Garden maintenance is an important aspect of any urban landscape. The trouble is that I can’t improve things in the way I’d like to be able to. This can be either cost, perceived cost or the things I suggest being dismissed without a thought.

Since starting work in the industry, I have worked in places that have larger gardens and lots of space to use. Some have had more than others, with unused, forgotten spaces being perfect for things like composting all the grass clippings, hedge trimmings and all manner of plant offshoots onsite. It’s not really a thing that they look at-they are happy to spend a fortune on green waste bins (some huge too), the disposal of this waste when needed and then spend more money on bringing compost in. Fair enough you need to manage your compost heaps but if you have it there onsite to use on your gardens, the benefits can be huge!

I am currently studying the Royal Horticultural Society’s Master of Horticulture program. I’m in my third and final year now, and it has made me question things more. I was of that frame of mind anyway, but because I’ve had to research deeper into all areas of the horticulture industry, I feel that how I’m working now is not sustainable-I want to change things and educate people on we can do things better now and into the future.

The only question is how I can do this while enjoying work more-why should I spend so much of my life bored senseless and dealing with unnecessary people dramas?

Writing can be a part of this, for sure. I am of the view though that you need to have things to do, otherwise writing about things can get stale very quickly. So I need to find some practical gardening to do, a more than my little patch at home can give. This is where time gets in the way-I just don’t have enough of it to work out what way to go if I leave my current job!

This makes me feel really stuck. I’m doing a job that I’m beginning to intensely dislike but can’t find the time to work out what to do instead!

I’m sure I’ll get there, given time and space once my studies are done this time next year, I’ll be able to get cracking with something new and more interesting that is sustainable over time.

I could go on rambling for ages, but I don’t think that would do much good. I will hopefully have time to visit some gardens and natural spaces to find more joy again, while also starting again with growing my veg once the builders have finished outside-I don’t want more seedlings destroyed!