Holly Farrell

As soon as I’d settled on a career in horticulture I looked to the RHS for possible training. Undertaking a two year practical training programme at Wisley (then called the ‘Wisley Diploma’) was immediately appealing so I spent a year at college studying for the qualifications I needed to be able to apply and was overjoyed to start the following autumn.


It was exactly what I was hoping for – a wide-ranging practical gardening education backed up by rigorous theory and RHS Qualifications. Working with some of the finest gardeners and horticultural scientists was an added bonus. There was great camaraderie between the students, who became  useful contacts in the industry.

For me, there’s no doubt that the Wisley Diploma opened doors – it’s highly regarded by fellow gardeners and potential employers – and because the content is so wide ranging, it opens up access to any number of possible jobs in horticulture. I’ve now swapped the trowel for a laptop, and write books and magazine features about gardening, a career triggered by a placement at The Garden magazine that I was able to do while at RHS Garden Wisley.

Since graduating, I’ve written at least seven books, several of which have been published by the RHS including RHS Gardening for Mindfulness, RHS Plants from Pips, and RHS Get Growing.

Please note: ‘Wisley Diploma’ has now been replaced with the accredited RHS L3 & 4 Diploma in Horticultural practice at Wisley.

Useful links

• RHS Qualifications and training
• Work-based training
• Careers in horticulture