Our 2025 Trainee, Elspeth MacDonald, came to us with a good foundation in horticulture: she had some existing qualifications, and previous employment as a gardener, including a stint with RHS Rosemoor. She applied for the Traineeship to develop her understanding of cut flower production, and test whether it was something she might want to specialise in going forward - and we were happy to employ her on that basis.

Elspeth grasped the opportunities afforded by the Traineeship with both hands, not only taking on extra work with local growers and gardens in addition to her contracted hours, but also exploring the local area and community with infectious enthusiasm.

Her basic confidence meant we were able to give Elspeth a lot of independence in the work she did for us, but happily this gave her the space to decide she did indeed want to pursue cut flowers professionally, and she is now in the process of establishing her own flower field at home in North Devon.

Elspeth says:

“Close to the beginning of this traineeship I was asked what I was most proud of that had recently happened to me. I said instantly: "that I'd got the opportunity to learn from the three flower farms as part of a formal traineeship." I stand by this. I have learnt so much from the experience, like when to cut flowers for their best performance and how to wrap the handle of a bridal bouquets - skills I will no doubt be using in the future. (One oddly useful lesson I will pass on to many gardeners is that you can use wire wool to erase the writing on plastic plant labels!!) Having the opportunity to work, learn and get stuck in with the three farms has given me invaluable insight into managing this kind of business.

I have lived most of my life in North Devon, but the Gloucester and Herefordshire countryside is something I’ll now always have a fondness for. I fully intend to stop off there in the future to look at the same views and pop in to see how each of the host farms has developed. 

The benefit of working across the three farms is their different approaches and focus: no one is better than the others, and they all have things I'd like to emulate in my own venture - I will definitely continue to ask Rozanne, Michael and Nanda for advice in the future! It’s thanks to my time with them that I now have the enthusiasm and expertise to set up my own farm - so thank you.”