Nicola graduates with green-fingers

After hours of studying and hands-on training, Nicola Oakey, 25 has graduated from the pioneering Homebase Garden Academy, and secured a job working as a trainee horticulture writer at the RHS.

Over the last year Nicola, has spent the last year learning from leading horticulture experts, including academy mentor and award winning garden designer Adam Frost. During the programme she studied everything from planting to lawn care and landscaping, while also working full-time at her local Homebase store in Frome within the garden centre, helping customers create gardens they love. Nicola has also been awarded a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Level 1 Award qualification.

Academy mentor Adam Frost said: "I’m very proud of how far Nicola has come over the past year and I have really enjoyed sharing my passion and experience with her. It’s sometimes a challenge for our industry to excite people about a career in gardening, but through schemes like this, we can show it is a fun and rewarding career path. I wish Nicola and all of this year’s graduates all the best with their future gardening careers.”

Garden Academy Student Nicola said: “This has been an amazing year. The biggest highlight for me was supporting Adam in building The Homebase Urban Retreat Garden in partnership with Macmillan Cancer Support at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower show. It was hard work but such a rewarding experience. I’m excited for my future career in gardening.”

Jonathon Kemp, Head of Garden and DIY at Homebase, said: “We’re delighted to have played a part in supporting Nicola with her career in gardening and what she has achieved over the year. We’re honoured that so many of the students are staying within Homebase stores offering expert knowledge and advice to customers and several students have secured roles in our head office as horti advisors and buyers.”

The Homebase Garden Academy is now in its third year. For more information on the Homebase Gardening Academy go to http://www.homebase.co.uk/en/static/garden-academy