About me

Rachel Whittaker

I’m a friendly, qualified and experienced gardener, serving private clients all over the Mendip region in Somerset. I have had a passion for horticulture for as long as I can remember and have been gardening professionally since 2002. Having achieved nationally recognised qualifications and accreditation in horticulture and environmental conservation, I set up my own business, RW Gardening Services, in 2015.

I have been a member of the Gardeners Guild since 2015. Find my listing here. References available upon request.

History

I started gardening at Tapeley park, North Devon, in 2002, tending the various gardens under the head gardener. I left to study for my RHS Level 2 qualification in Horticulture. After successfully completing the course, I returned to Tapeley Park for a short while before moving to Bristol, where I eventually became involved in a community gardening co-op called Eastside Roots, and tried my hand at market gardening and permaculture.
I have worked on various similar projects over the years, such as growing salads and tomatoes for Radford Mill, growing large scale organic crops for veg boxes with Sims Hill Shared Harvest, teaching children about where their food comes from and empowering refugees to grow their own food.
I became a parent in 2010, and continued to take on part time work as a private gardener.
In 2015, I registered as self-employed and established RW Gardening Services.

Qualifications and Training

• RHS Horticulture Level 2 (Full) – Bridgwater College (now Cannington)
• Environmental Conservation Level 2 (Full) – BTCV (now TCV)
• CS30 Chainsaw Maintenance & Crosscutting – NPTC
• CS31 Chainsaw Maintenance & Felling Small Trees – NPTC
• PA1 Award in the Safe Use of Pesticides (PA6 exam to follow) – NPTC
• Certificate in Water Conservation eLearning – HTA
• Professional Rose Pruning – David Austin Roses
• Emergency First Aid at Work – Akesis Medical Services
• Soils: Introducing the world beneath our feet – Lancaster University in association with FutureLearn

Licensing and Insurance

• Public Liability Insurance up to £5,000,000
• Professional Indemnity Insurance
• Green Waste Carriers license
• Professional Operator APHA customer reference number 130677