VOLUNTEER GARDENERS – THE ENEMY WITHIN – this new post by Rachel Cassidy on the excellent thinkinGardens website will make you stop and reflect how unqualified and inexperienced volunteers doing something for nothing can cheapen the skills and dedication of those who’ve spent years learning and building their skills to become professional gardeners.
Many cash-strapped public gardens dependent on government support and fund-raising, rather than entry fees, have to rely on supervised volunteers to keep the garden maintenance up to scratch. But what of the many large publicly open gardens that get handsome returns from gate receipts? Should they encourage and use volunteer labour?
More at thinkinGardens