Seeking a positive distraction from the weight of her daily work, Ellen Smith decided to embark on a journey of growth—literally. She enrolled in a free horticulture course, trading grim headlines for green shoots and discovering a community of like-minded learners along the way.
The Search for Affordable Green Knowledge
With a lifelong interest in gardening fostered from a family veggie patch to various share houses, Ellen had long wanted to deepen her understanding. She knew good soil was vital, but craved the science behind it. Her initial research into short permaculture courses revealed a significant barrier: they were prohibitively expensive. University study was even more costly, and gardening blogs could only offer so much.
The breakthrough came when she discovered she could pursue a free Certificate III in Horticulture through TAFE (Technical and Further Education). Despite holding a diploma in writing and editing, she found the course was openly offered to anyone willing to commit their time, sparking immediate excitement.
Adult Learning and 'Lightbulb' Moments in the Garden
This year, Ellen began attending part-time classes one evening a week after work and every Saturday. She describes re-entering formal education as an adult as a major adjustment, akin to taking on a second job that requires real homework and focus.
Her class, however, proved to be a vibrant and supportive mix of people from diverse backgrounds. "Everyone's into slightly different things," she notes, "so we're all just swapping advice." The curriculum started with safely using garden power tools—hedge trimmers included—before moving to plant identification.
This focus on plant ID became her personal revelation. "Everyone in the class has had lightbulb moments, and for me it was plant ID," Ellen explains. Learning the genus and species of plants reshaped her worldview, allowing her to share surprising connections, like asparagus and palm trees belonging to the same family.
Cultivating Change Beyond the Classroom
While the time commitment has been hectic, the power of free education is evident: not a single classmate has dropped out, despite everyone finding the pace intense. Ellen plans to continue her botanical explorations even after the term ends, visiting suburban nurseries on her Saturdays.
The knowledge is already bearing fruit. She has begun helping friends and family with their gardens, recommending plants like a prostrate grevillea spotted at Maranoa Botanic Gardens for her sister's birthday. In her own garden, she has repotted blueberries, planted more thickly for mulch, and holds high hopes for this year's vegetable harvest.
Ultimately, for Ellen, the course provides a vital counterbalance. "I love my job, but it's a bit grim. We see a lot of grim stuff," she says. Studying horticulture is a deliberate, joyful pursuit that is "completely not grim." It’s a fun, engaging hobby with a tangible impact—and, as she happily concludes, "who doesn’t like free TAFE?"
