Mike Hamilton - Mike the Gardening Coach
07881 992711
www.mikethegardeningcoach.scot
What do you offer your clients?
I offer bespoke support to help people enjoy their gardens more. This can be supporting clients to realise a gardening project like redesigning a part, or all of their garden; helping to make their garden more accessible, or wildlife-friendly, or showing how to prune fruit trees. Sometimes it’s helping clients with no gardening experience where to start as it can seem quite daunting. I provide support until a project is concluded, or ongoing, support that varies with the seasons. Alternatively, I may spend a couple of hours with a more experienced client giving bits of advice and practical help in their garden.
From early 2022, I will be running a Gardening for Health group in Crieff to help people who may be isolated, or have health issues to connect with others, learn about gardening and experience the therapeutic rewards of gardening.
What are the benefits of your service?
I work with clients in a person-centred way. People experience their gardens differently, so its important to recognise that and listen to what people value about their gardens. My role is using my experience and knowledge to guide my clients through the process of a particular project, supporting them along the way by providing training in particular techniques, demonstrating different approaches so the client finds the one that suits them and also helping practically to make the project happen.
The Gardening for Health project’s focus is improving the health and quality of life of people by bringing a small group together, working and learning together, while fostering a friendly, sociable environment through gardening.
In the process of attending regular, weekly sessions, participants’ will build their own resilience through gardening’s ups and downs and learn from the group’s collective experience. Gardening also gives a great sense of achievement individually and collectively. This builds individuals’ confidence and self-esteem.