Ipswich mum swaps wealth management for garden design

Why it matters: The 41-year-old from Ipswich has left a career in wealth management to launch her own business, Lucy Howard Horticulture, after retraining as a mature student and working behind the scenes at some of the UK’s most prestigious flower shows.

The details: Lucy struggled with postnatal depression and PTSD after her twins were born prematurely in 2019. She spent her early mornings in the vegetable patch and, during Covid, turned her love of gardening into an idea for a new career.

“I kept finding myself in the vegetable patch at 4am, after the babies had been fed, and those two hours before the rest of the house woke were magical. It was just me, the robins and the sunrise, and I realised it had the power to change my mindset for the rest of the day,” she said.

For context: In 2021, after a 16-year break from education, Lucy enrolled on a Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Level 2 Practical course at Suffolk New College’s Suffolk Rural campus.

She later went on to a Level 3 Diploma in Garden Design there. Along the way, she helped design a garden at the Suffolk Show that won a gold medal and helped create a garden in Felixstowe that was featured on the BBC.

After college, Lucy set up her own gardening service, with much of her early work coming through word of mouth.

“There is a real shortage of gardeners and people seemed very keen to have a qualified female gardener,” she said.

What’s next: Lucy Howard Horticulture offers garden design, focusing on border design and soft landscaping.

Lucy hopes to create her own show garden and encourage the next generation into horticulture, and she has already worked with Felixstowe Academy on several gardening projects.

What they’re saying: “The transition has been hard — being a homeowner and a mother, going back to college and a lower wage, it’s been challenging, but there hasn’t been a day when I’ve regretted it, not even when the rain has been torrential, or we’ve been in the middle of a drought; being outside brings such a sense of peace and purpose,” she said.

“Looking back, I’m glad I took the leap. I had three young children and really questioned whether I was doing the right thing, but my husband has been incredibly supportive and I’m honestly so glad that I followed my heart.”

She also said: “It’s also so important that we raise awareness of career paths that aren’t seen as traditionally ‘academic’; if you love something, you’ll always thrive. The industry needs a new generation of people to discover the possibilities of a career in horticulture.”

The bottom line: Lucy has swapped spreadsheets and screens for planting plans, and she has no regrets: “Sometimes the grass really is greener on the other side.”

Don't forget: If you enjoy our content, please add Ipswich.co.uk as a "preferred source" on Google so you can easily find more of the content you value.

This article cost us ~£14 to produce

It's free for you to read thanks to the generous support of our partners. Please support us by supporting them.