I answer all the questions that you, the Tropical Tribe, have asked me. I’m often asked how I managed to change career to become a gardener full time and in this video I talk through the route I took to retrain as a gardener and gain experience working as a gardener full time. I also discuss what started my interest in tropical and exotic plants as well as answering some questions about my own Tiny Tropical Garden and gardening tricks and tips.
—–🙂 USEFUL LINKS FOR THE TROPICAL TRIBE 🙂—–
🛒🌿 AMAZON SHOP:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/shop/tropicaltribe
🏝️🌿TROPICAL TRIBE WEBSITE:
🔎🌿TROPICAL & EXOTIC PLANT FINDER:
📷🌿INSTAGRAM –
https://www.instagram.com/tropical_tribe_/
—-👍PRODUCTS I USE IN MY TROPICAL GARDEN 👍—–
🌴 FERTILISERS:
• Chicken manure pellets: https://amzn.to/3bZSfD9
• Liquid seaweed: https://amzn.to/3cZRFqz
• Fish blood and bone: https://amzn.to/36sPdGo
• Houseplant food: https://amzn.to/3c1GRXA
🌴PROPAGATING SEEDS & CUTTINGS:
Windowsill Propagator: https://amzn.to/36sPDfW
Heat Matt: https://amzn.to/2LT6aQU
POTTING UP:
• Perlite: https://amzn.to/36qSdDn
• Eco pots: https://amzn.to/2WYWevD
• Plant labels: https://amzn.to/3glHf6E
🌴STREAM WATER FEATURE:
POND PUMP – https://amzn.to/2UJB3MM
LINER & UNDERLAY – https://amzn.to/2Rf7gcZ
WATER PIPE – https://amzn.to/2x5FWqB
CEMENT – https://amzn.to/2xRGgcu
🌴TROPICAL STYLING:
Solar flame torch: https://amzn.to/2X1a0Oh
Solar Fairy light: https://amzn.to/2ZylOZT
Bamboo screening: https://amzn.to/2LUOFzH
🌴 TROPICAL GARDENING BOOKS:
Kew Tropical Plant identification: https://amzn.to/36qSxC5
Hot Plants For Cool Places: https://amzn.to/3ebbATi
Big Leaves for Exotic Effect: https://amzn.to/2M1Leah
I just signed up for the same course today. For the same reasons.
I'm shit scared and excited.
This has really helped. Thank you 🙂
Loved your story, thank you. It's really encouraging to hear about how you studied online whilst working, as lot of stories I found online were from people who could just give up their job completely which is definitely not the situation I'm in! It'll take a few years, but I hope I get there too.
Paused the video halfway through, went to market and bought a houseplant for the first time in my life!
great story , wow amazing place to work, Congrats i always had that dream to work in kew but its a long drive, similar to me i started working on my own garden maintenance 10 years ago still enjoy it !
Great story. My garden has become my life and arguably, I now have an obsession with exotic plants. So much so that I wouldn't now move house, as I couldn't face leaving my garden! It's my place of sanctuary each day. If I had my time again, I'd have carved a career as a landscape architect.
So inspirational, I would love to do what you've done, you're so lucky found your dream job, something you enjoy. I might look at horticultural courses at my local college.
I love your story and share your video in my Facebook. I would change my career if I am young but I am old lol.
Hi Craig, inspired to restart my tropical garden I purchased 2 young musa basjoo and an ensete m… The first week there were visable signs of growth, a new leaf every other day, but this week the leaves have slowed. Not sure if ive over watered. The musa has brown tips but ensete still has a beautiful colour although has slowered, also ants and green fly seem to love the bananas… They are all in full sun. Any ideas pests and slowing growth? Brenda
wierd that we use the exact same method for feeding and mulching. . I too have a heavy clay garden. . i hear coir is also good. . do you suggest clipping my Paulownia into 1 stem? also do you suggest overwintering my schefflera indoors? its still young. . and how would you over winter colocasia? many thanks
Hi Craig,
Love watching your videos and seeing all the TLC you give your beautiful garden. Keep them coming 🙂 Wish I was younger and physically still able to make a career switch to being a gardener as you have. For now propagating and sowing all kinds of plants for friends and neighbours does give me great satisfaction. However, I am looking into possibilies to make a small living this way.
I wonder if you ever looked into bokashi (which is basically fermenting all kinds of kitchen and gardenscraps) as a means to improve the soil in your garden. As you I have a small garden so no room for a compost heap etc, that's why I started with bokashi last year and it really works a treat for me: it is dead easy, quick and hardly anything organic goes to waste. I either dig it directly into the garden or rejuvinate last year's tired container soil and I also use the liquid fertilizer for my muso's and canna's.
Happiness is everything in life, like you I find contentment in my garden its very therapeutic – well done you for succeeding in your new career path
Thanks for a good Q&A and a lot of good knowledge how you got into the garden business.
Your story is really resonating with my thoughts about my current situation. I'm an engineer, good money especially when that overtime and weekend work kicks in. But I'm miserable doing it, i go to bed most nights stressed, i wake up dreading the day, I'm bored, so so bored. Yet i consider "a nice day out" going to a flipping garden center, i read about plants constantly, i can actually retain information ive read from the day before – this is generally non existent. I love growing seeds, collecting seeds, propagating, pollinating, crossing… my garden is my life, i NEED it. Every second of my day (bar family) is spent having something to do with plants. Ive looked into courses, it's a terrifying thought, especially as i hate tests… but i think im nearing that point where for my own sanity and health i have to be involved in gardening as a job.
Great video love all the things your parents were doing I've got a mixture garden loving my tropical and the rest just getting into house plants loving your videos hurry up and do your shed