A Story of Opportunities
I’m the one in the green jacket. Hi, I’m Agatha. I moved to Nottingham in 2020 with my husband, Martin (he’s the one taking the picture, in the black hat). Although, Nottingham as a city is quite pretty, I felt a bit sad and detached from nature, as before we lived in a house that was just a walk away from a lovely forest (Scotland Wood, Leeds).
Wollaton Park I discovered by chance – I caught a glimpse of the Hall, while travelling in a taxi and thought to myself- I definitely need to explore this area. One day, I gathered my courage and went in (I had to double check that it’s not a private property). I was faced with a deer, which was giving me a nasty look, as if it wanted to say “Why are you entering my kingdom, you peasant?” I was a bit put off, but decided to move as far as possible from the deer, but still explore the area.
It was stunning, secret paths leading to ginormous trees, beautiful Camelia house and formal borders, the naturalistic volunteer garden, amazing Hall and so much space to sit down and have a picnic with your family and friends. I fell in love with the place and wanted to get involved, not only because I wanted to give back to the local community, but also to compensate for the tiny garden, that we had at home (where, unfortunately, one can only grow slugs in abundance).
I reached out to Karen, the fantastic volunteer coordinator and soon after I was able to volunteer at the park. The volunteers were amazing, they made me feel so welcome and at home (the majority of the lovely bunch you can see in the picture with me. Not only are they extremely friendly and helpful (together with the staff members), but also very knowledgeable and inspiring, sharing information about plants, pests and additional horticultural knowledge.
Not too long after, I decided to study Horticulture and Garden Design as a foundation degree. Everyone was so supportive and proud of me, it made me feel amazing.
The staff at the Hall are also brilliant – thanks to Karen and Sophie (two volunteer coordinators), I was granted an RHS bursary for an educational trip to RHS Bridgewater in May 2024. It was amazing!!! I love learning, so it was really insightful for me to travel there and gain knowledge about new plants and explore the logistics behind running such big spaces.
This is my second year at the university and not so long ago, I found out that there is a
placement opportunity at Wollaton Park. I didn’t waste any time and applied straight away. After an interview with Kyle, the head gardener, I was waiting anxiously for a result… After a few days, I got confirmation from Karen. I was over the moon. I am very excited for the placement, all the things that I will learn and the opportunities to use my creativity.
I feel very fortunate and grateful for all the amazing people that I’ve met at Wollaton Park (volunteers and members of staff) and the opportunities that I encounter.
I hope to continue making you proud of me. Amazing thank you to you all!
