We are fortunate to have an extremely talented and fully qualified Gardening Team looking after Bates Green Garden. We are all constantly learning from one another and are keen to share our ideas and practices with other interested people.

With this in mind we fully support the WRAG scheme.  This is a training programme run by The Working for Gardeners Association (WFGA) and it involves placing a student in a carefully sourced garden for a year on a paid traineeship. This student is mentored and trained by either the Garden Owner or the Head Gardener and works through seasonal tasks of a practical nature.

I started working at Bates Green Garden on this very scheme in 2002 and consider myself extremely lucky to have been chosen to work so closely with Carolyn McCutchan at that time.   I learnt so much and began to network within the horticultural community.

Since Carolyn’s death in 2019, we have had 3 WRAGS students who have all contributed to the Garden in their own unique way.  The scheme lasts for 12 months after which the student fledges off to pastures new. We are currently recruiting for our new student who will begin their training in November 2024.

This trainee will work for 14 hours per week on Wednesdays and Thursdays from November and will be paid the National Living Wage.  Once the Arlington Bluebell walk has closed in May for 2025, the student will replace one of those weekdays for a Saturday but only once a month.

This scheme is operated by a network of Regional Managers and ours is the inspirational Sarah Farr.  Please contact Sarah directly (south-coast@wfga.org.uk) if you have any questions about the Scheme and, ideally start preparing your CV if you are interested so that you can apply. 

No horticultural qualifications are required for the scheme but a passion for Nature within Horticulture is a must for this particular Garden.  We are a friendly, welcoming bunch of people sharing a common passion for plants and wildlife.  Cake too…..

If you would like to ask us any questions about this scheme, please come along to the Garden when we are open on Wednesdays.  Harriet (ex-WRAGS) is always in the Barn and there is usually a gardener or two to be found in the borders.  Do it soon though, we need to start looking through CV’s so that we can interview candidates at the beginning of October 2024.

In other news Christine found this incredible nest here the other day.  It was already vacant which gave us ample opportunity to study the construction- made almost solely from the polypropylene that makes up tonne bags.  Quite remarkable.

Enjoy your gardens everyone, do come for a visit and see what September has to offer here.  Bountiful colour, texture and tranquility.