With the UK's interest in gardening on the up, Eloise Seddon looks at what would draw more staff into horticulture. It's ironic that gardening is enjoying a peak in popularity and in media exposure, while it is becoming increasingly hard to recruit skilled, knowledgeable and experienced staff to the horticulture industry. Although gardening is considered one of the most desirable jobs in the UK for both men and women aged 25-70 according to a national survey featured in the Guardian (HW, September 19), the pool of suitable and willing candidates is shrinking fast. This is especially the case when it comes to commercial nursery production, plant research and the traditional gardening sectors. The staff shortage has reached a point where it's not uncommon now for National Trust gardening jobs to have to be re-advertised many times before they are filled. So why is there a staff shortage for these? What work is popular? And what can industry and colleges do to improve the situation?
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