The Plant Whisperer
Wendy Furniss is a graduate with ‘Distinction’ from the Australian Academy of Garden Design. And Wendy is also a plant whisperer.
While planting, gardening and being outdoors have always been part of Wendy’s world, it wasn’t actually her first choice of career. There was a time when she was interested in interior design, but she did not manage to meet the grades. When she began to look back a little later in life, it became clear to her that all roads thus far have indeed been leading to garden design.
After having spent over 25 years in fashion & textiles, Wendy was ready for something new. When the opportunity to work at an indigenous plant nursery presented itself, she took it. During this time Wendy was supported to study a Cert3 Horticulture – Wholesale Nursery and went on to study a Diploma of Conservation and Land Management part time.
Wendy returned to textiles and following a further seven years in the industry, it seemed fate was going to force her hand. The spread of Covid and subsequent rolling lockdowns meant that Wendy’s working hours were dramatically reduced but her time in her garden increased. She found herself appreciating planting and garden work more. It was then that it would click into place.
“I realised I needed to be working in the garden full time to be fully happy. I changed my job search from ‘Environment’ to ‘Horticulture’ and found full time work at a Garden Nursery as the store manager.”
She found she also loved to talk to people about plants and gardens. While she already had horticultural knowledge and insights, Wendy soon felt a strong need for more information to share with her garden nursery customers.
“I was looking online for a study from home option with some real person contact, not just a set of modules to read through and then hand in assignments. AAGD were providing online ‘Live’ classes, with a small group of students and a tutor, with course material being internationally recognised and supported by landscape industry experienced tutors.”
Lessons picked up along the way
Wendy was already armed with a wealth of knowledge and experience having spent her childhood searching for orchids in conservation parks and watching and reading about all thing’s gardens. But her thirst for knowledge was also far from satiated.
“I have spent time as a volunteer helping to revegetate my local waterway, planting alongside my children, and using my indigenous plant and ecological vegetation community knowledge to coordinate the planting days. I subsequently trained with Hume City Council ‘Gardens for Wildlife’ program, finding an extension for my indigenous plant knowledge to help garden owners install grasses, flowers, trees and shrubs to support habitat in their backyards, increasing biodiversity and habitat connections across urban gardens.”
When she embarked on her studies at the Academy, she was ready to learn and absorb as much as possible, but it can also be challenging to find the time and mental space to grapple with such a commitment. But like the adage says, nothing worth doing comes easy. But Wendy did it and did it brilliantly.
“More recently, needing to run my own garden maintenance and design business took precedence over my study time. It has taken me much longer than I planned, but I am proud to have now finished my certification. Receiving complimentary feedback from the tutors was rewarding for me to read through, as they obviously understand how much of yourself you put into a garden design project, which encouraged me to keep going. I am also grateful to the academy for allowing me to extend my study dates to enable me to complete my certificate.”
Now that Wendy is working full-time in the garden business, she is finding great joy in how varied the work of garden design can be. She loves to work with people and creatively solve the puzzle of their wants and needs in their outdoor spaces.
“I also love creating different plant combinations or ‘palettes’ by mixing foliage colours and textures, basically painting with plants.”
She speaks the language
And Wendy is enjoying her ability to provide knowledge and insights to help people get what they really want.
“I love learning about new plants and have an uncanny ability to remember them by their botanical names instead of their common names. People ask me how I do it, and I tell them, ‘The plants just tell me their names when I look at them!’”
In full bloom
You could say that today, Wendy is in full bloom. She has been juggling three jobs including running her own business https://www.calytrixgardendesign.com.au/ as well as working for a garden maintenance crew and a local garden nursery. All of which will keep her informed and “helps keep my horticultural mind sharp.”
There are many academic lessons that must be learned in order to understand horticulture and indeed garden design, but there are also countless other lessons that can be picked up on a learning journey that can offer unexpected advantages. Wendy has developed her intellectual and academic knowledge, but she has also inadvertently enriched her personal wellbeing with the choices she has made.
“I have learned that I can work a job every day that I love, working and talking all things horticulture. I have learned that I can run my own business and make people happy through the creation of new gardens. I have learned that all my horticulture, environment and garden experiences to date have created my unique garden creation style, that attracts clients that are interested in what I am passionate about. It is a loop that continues to enrich and encourage me.”
And when you love what you do, there is no question of whether you will succeed. With a garden design company already up and running with multiple stunning projects to boast, Wendy has hit her stride. Her eyes on a future of more planting, more people and more beauty in the soil. It is safe to say that seeds have been planted, and Wendy knows exactly how much water she needs.
Are you ready to explore your own Creative Future?
Whether you’re looking to change careers, develop your creative skills, or turn a passion for design into something more, the Garden Design Courses are designed to help you build practical, industry-ready skills from home with personalised tutor feedback and flexible online learning.
Explore now and discover where your creativity could take you.
