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Gina cultivates a new ‘course of life’
Gina Carey almost didn’t continue with her Certificate III in Horticulture (AHC30722) due to some initial technology-overwhelm. However, with encouragement from her TAFE Queensland teachers, Gina’s now blooming — not only is she is employed in the industry and but she’s a garden competition winner.
Gina was initially inspired to get into gardening due to the COVID pandemic.
“Not being able to easily access fresh food because everything had closed down, I had to rely on my herbs and vegetable garden,” Gina explained.
“But after having had back and neck issues for many years, I decided to purchase a raised vegepod garden.”
“I started with one and now have two large, two medium and one small sized vegepods. I purchased the vegepods due to the fact that they have built in covers that protect from pest problems and also a wicking bed design, which means that don’t need to be watered all the time.”
After neck surgery in September 2022, Gina found gardening to be very therapeutic and rewarding.
“I have found gardening has been great for my mental health after living with chronic pain for so many years. Having your hands in the soil is the best medication around and it gives your brain something else to think about for a while,” said Gina.
Gardening has been a source of great therapy and reward for Gina.
For Gina, the decision to pursue further education, especially after a long break, was quite challenging, but she thought studying a Fee-Free TAFE funded horticulture course was a great way to gain new skills and open up potential employment opportunities.
“I originally decided to sign up for the horticulture course because I was eligible for Fee-Free TAFE funding. I wanted to further my knowledge and to hopefully retrain into further employment after not working for a period of over ten years due to medical reasons,” said Gina.
“However, at the start of the year, I was ready to walk away. I left school in 1986 and I got very overwhelmed by having to study again — having to use a computer. I was ready to quit. But my two teachers, both Matt and Peter, encouraged me to keep going and not to give up. They both showed a lot of loyalty to me and the students,” Gina shared.
With support from her teachers, Gina persevered and is part of the winning cohort of Toowoomba campus horticulture students who placed first in the The Chronicle Garden Competition for the ‘commercial premises’ category during the Carnival of Flowers in 2024.
“We're very lucky here at the Toowoomba campus to have our grounds and facilities that we do,” Gina said.
“We have lots of little microclimates here in the garden. Lots of wildlife, insect life, bird life. We have birds here pretty well all day, and we have a resident frill-necked lizard. And it's a very peaceful area — the horticulture facilities and the building block itself. We have been provided with state-of-the-art technology,” beamed Gina.
The Toowoomba campus offers a range of horticulture facilities designed to provide hands-on learning experiences including a nursey, themed gardens and a covered potting area which are all in close proximity to the classroom.
While the Certificate III in Horticulture (AHC30722) course has been designed to provide students with a broad range of knowledge and practical skills for working in the industry — from improving soil conditions, implementing plant nutrition programs, operating machinery and equipment, and maintaining nursery plants.
“We do three days a week. We have to complete a certain amount of work online at home. I'm now also gaining knowledge at my place of employment — there was a job vacancy recently that came up at a local family business, and I applied for it, and, I was lucky enough to get the job,” said Gina.
“This course has also seen me gain friendships that will hopefully continue well after the course has finished. I’ve also received lots of encouragement from the teachers that are here through their industry knowledge,” Gina said.
And as a result of making the decision to pursue study, Gina is now pursuing her career goals.
“I have employment at Sungrown Nursery. I’m working in my dream job. I never thought that I would be given the chance to work again following my health issues. My outlook on life wasn't very good at that stage, so I'm grateful to have a new perspective on life, and having gained employment,” Gina shared.
In her spare time Gina chooses to stick to what she’s passionate about — keeping her brain engaged and her thumbs ‘green’.
“I do a lot of research through books and my computer about gardening, about permaculture. Trying to gain more skills and knowledge that will help me in my employment,” Gina said.
“I also just love gardening my vegetables – my love of gardening is very focused around vegetables and all things fruit trees. But because of my employment now, I have had to find a love of flowers and roses and fruit trees (I’m about to plant a mulberry tree beside my chook pen) and everything associated with working in the nursery. So that's my new passion now, as well as the vegetables,” said Gina.
Gina is very encouraging of others to not give up when undertaking their studies at TAFE Queensland, even after an extended break.
“My advice to people that are considering studying at TAFE Queensland would be to find that course that you are interested in and join,” Gina offered.
“TAFE Queensland is a brilliant provider of education. You can go at your own pace to a certain degree and so if you are considering studying, just enrol in that course, because it may very well change the course of your life.
“When I enrolled in late November last year, I didn't think that my life would change as much as it has now. You just need to persevere – to not give up,” Gina finished.
I do a lot of research through books and my computer about gardening, about permaculture. Trying to gain more skills and knowledge that will help me in my employment.