Plant Nursery Worker - Jenny

Experiences:

I often spent time gardening, first with my father & grandmother, then by myself. At the time I believed I would follow in my parents career of teaching.

Opportunities:

No lucky breaks, decided this was my career of choice and searched for employment, getting a job on my previous work experience & merits.

Education:

None of my education directly contributed to my career, excepting general communication and literary skills. I excelled in english, music & drama, past teachers are surprised at my career. Teachers & school always encouraged gaining varied experiences, but didn't direct to career. School work has never been helpful, bar basic maths.

Training: Trained on the job.

Employment:

My source of income led to my career, being that I worked first in retail for income and used that experience to tranfer to my career of choice. The only preparation for retirement I have is my employer contributed superannuation. I have typical tasks rather than days, I work with the public, and many people comment that it must be a happy job to have, it must be lovely working with plants. They often ask about plants or gardening rather than my job, but they do so because of my job.

Development:

Employer doesn't provide or encourage additional development, but would probably do so if I asked it of them. Many other staff are employed casually because they are studying, though often not directly linked to the job. Personally I plan to study further to assist my career, though not necessarily with the assistance of my employer. Productivity isn't linked with development or renumeration.

Have a look at this YouTube video about what it is like to be a Nursery Worker (NZ)

Design a nursery space that has flowers all year round

Primary Middle  Secondary

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Critical and creative thinking

Australian Curriculum General Capability: Numeracy

1. Scenario: You own a nursery and have established that buyers want to see lots of colour in flowering plants all year.

You are to work out a chart showing the types of flowering plants (at least 10 varieties) that you will display making sure that each flowering plant overlaps with the next one to have a continuous display in the nursery.

2. While you need to have introduced species of flowering plants you need to also have at least 30% Native Flowering Plants; and, another 20% with distinctive foliage only. There has to be 1000 plants on display at any one time.

3. The nursery is going very well commercially, and sells around 600 plants per week. 90% of all sales are from stock that you have propagated on the nursery site. 

4. You are to work out:

a. The flowering plants (introduced species - not native] - when they flower and the number required. How many can be propagated (how long does propagation take and when will the plants be ready for sale).

b. The Native plants - both flowering and distinctive foliage - when they flower and the number required.  How many can be propagated (how long does propagation take and when will the plants be ready for sale).

c. The distinctive foliage plants - the number required. How many can be propagated (how long does propagation take and when will the plants be ready for sale).

5. Develop a chart showing the your plants and the months of the year, and, the number available and required.

Resources:

Gardening Australia - Native Plants	Gardening Australia - Flowering Plants
About the Garden - Summer Flower Planting Guide	About the Garden - Spring Flower Planting Guide
About the Garden - Winter Flower Planting Guide	About the Garden - Autumn Flower Planting Guide