We have gardening teams and floristry teams. The gardening teams work Monday to Friday whereas the floristry teams work on Fridays, Saturdays and (the occasional) Sunday morning.
Each team is unique. They are made up of women and young adults who work in teams of 2 or 4 for 1 or 2 x 4 hour sessions a day (most team members do around 4 x 4 hr sessions a week - but lots do more and some do less). Most team members work on a part time basis alongside other commitments or interests and some work full time (though we encourage people to build up to full time gardening work as it is physically demanding). Some team members work as florists, some as gardeners (some as year round gardeners, some as summer-only seasonal gardeners and some as term-time only gardeners) and some as both.
Some team members have been gardening for a very long time (our eldest team member is a fantastically healthy and knowledgable 68), some are just starting on their journey of learning (we have a handful of teenagers and students who return each academic holiday to work with us). Some team members have RHS horticultural qualifications and experience and some require on the job training. We have a structured programme of skills development for those who wish to progress professionally and increase their pay and responsibilities though this is not mandatory).
We aim to have the same team members working together so that they get to know their gardens, their clients and their fellow team members. This makes for a better working environment and a better client experience. We aim to be as inclusive and flexible as possible and welcome all situations, set ups and work requirements.
In line with our own priority of protecting the privacy and safety of team members, we tend not to publish identifiable images of our team members, however, if you would like to meet some of us, we encourage you to volunteer for a day at our training garden in Hambleden (RG9 6RP) or join us at our free, open to all, Gardening Club on the first Thursday of each month between 2pm and 4 pm at the YMCA, 2 Lawson Rd, Henley on Thames, RG9 1NZ.
If you are interested in working for The Flower Union, volunteering at a training day or joining Gardening Club, please get in touch with Jane (below)
