More about Shadow of the gardener.

~ Shadow of the gardener is a one man operation set up to run in conjunction with Rutland Bonsai Therapy.

  • I am a Sole Trader turned Ltd company.
  • I offer gardening services to private clients at reasonable rates.
  • I work and operate in and around Rutland UK.

Both Shadow of the Gardener and Rutland Bonsai Therapy are standalone businesses that work together when possible with a view to providing a Social Enterprise opportunity.

As I come from a Care worker background; I started off as a Care Officer and was quickly promoted to Senior Care Officer and was in charge of running a small Supported Living Household.  I wish to eventually provide employment opportunities for people that would not normally get one.  Hopefully enabling people who come from a Vulnerable background or have disabilities to gain employment, life skills and a passion or therapy from working in and around Horticulture.  I spent several years working with Vulnerable adults providing Horticultural Therapy and keeping the Grounds/Garden of the Supported living house I worked at; in shape and maintained.

I’ve worked for the largest Private Groundskeeping company in the UK as a Groundsman, mainly spent working on Military property keeping Military camps/Barracks and Officers/Sergeants Mess grounds clean and tidy.  As well as preparing or caring for Married Quarter houses for March out or Hand over.  (High spec work and fast turnover daily required.)

I’ve spent several years heavily involved with learning Bonsai as that is one of my passions as well as years spent improving my own gardens or land. (I have 4 Full Allotment plots – Currently; always looking for another one!)  Cultivating stock from seed and hard landscaping through to digging out a pond and using a large Polytunnel to increase the stock for the large garden I used to have as it was in dire need of attention as it had been left for years and fallen into a poor state.  As well as building raised beds, rockeries, Water features and putting up sheds and all the other general chores that are a good foundation for a gardener.  Running my own Allotments for 3 years has also given me a deeper and further understanding of Horticulture and of course; hard work that is required to turn a large amount of land into a working space and filling it with vegetables, flowers and trees.

I also have an Ex Forces background.  I was a serving member of Her Majesty’s Armed Forces – Army.  I was a Front Line Infantry soldier who did Active tours of Cyprus and Northern Ireland, as well as operating in Jordan and Kuwait.  (Those who have an Armed Forces “Defence Discount Card” will receive a discount upon providing proof of it!)