Acau tells us about her ‘whirlwind romance’ with horticulture, which has taken her all the way to the well-tended gardens of Buckingham Palace….

Name:  Acau Bailey
Institution:  Capel Manor College
Course:  BTEC National Diploma in Horticulture

Acau Bailey from Camden Town is originally from Vietnam, where farming was part of her heritage. She denied her passion for a career in gardening as a teenager and decided to study business instead. She ended up working for 12 years at a nursery school and spent a further seven years as a Teaching Assistant at her children’s school, where she took on responsibility for maintaining the school’s garden. She decided she’d like to learn the proper skills and techniques, so decided to train for a career in horticulture.

She decided to enrol for the BTEC National Diploma courses in Horticulture, a course that aims to produce students with the knowledge and practical skills to take up posts within the commercial and amenity sectors of horticulture working within the areas of hard and soft landscaping design, crop production and as gardeners in prestigious gardens throughout the country.

Acau explains a bit about her course: ‘My very best experience on the course was during my work placement. I had the unique opportunity to work in the gardens of Buckingham Palace over an extended four-month period, and I learned so much from the expert garden staff and the huge variety of plants available. The course has provided me with so many opportunities and opened many doors for me. I feel like I’ve had a whirlwind romance with horticulture over the last two years.’

Acau was also accepted on to the Royal Botanic Garden Kew Traineeship Scheme this year.