Stella Jardine, HND Horticulture with Plantsmanship

Stella chose SRUC after researching online and discovering real student experiences which really encouraged her to take the leap

"After leaving high school with only two higher qualifications, I worked for eight years with additional support needs children which I loved but was an extremely underfunded and a physically and mentally challenging job I knew it was time for a change but was very nervous and unsure about what direction in life to take I truly never imagined to be where I am now, back then I never even knew what ‘horticulture’ meant, let alone studying and finding jobs related to it I applied very last minute to the Horticulture course at Edinburgh, hoping to meet people with similar interests and build on my knowledge I had seen a lot of the SRUC social media posts that gave me an insight into the courses and made me even more intrigued about what I could learn ”

The facilities at SRUC are brilliant! All the tools you could ever need for the course are available for use.

“After an amazing first year studying Horticulture at the Kings Buildings campus with brilliant lecturers and facilities, I knew swapping to the Horticulture with Plantsmanship course would benefit me as my interests lie in plant collections, particularly indoor tropical collections The people I have met have such broad knowledge and often niche specialities that I can’t help but be encouraged and learn from them. I am often finding myself imagining my future bigger and better than I ever would have a couple years ago "

"My favourite module is Plant Classification and Systematics run by an extremely knowledgeable lecturer. The plant identification tests broaden my general plant knowledge We learn in detail about various plant families including the history and evolutions as well as morphology and taxonomy We also complete pencil drawing studies of different species, which I particularly enjoy as I can put my forgotten artistic skills to the test "

Each student is given their own plot at the RBGE as part of one of the course assignments.

"The highlights for me so far have been meeting new friends with similar interests that I can talk to for hours about all things plant related, learning from knowledgeable lecturers, receiving support that has built my self-confidence, and getting to study something I love every day "

"I never imagined myself capable of studying again after my struggles as a child and teen in school I reached out to student support for help as I knew there was something different about my learning style I got so much support from the team, emotionally as well as financially, to finally get a diagnosis and at the age of 23 I was diagnosed with Dyslexia and Dyscalculia. The things I struggled with my whole life finally had a name and now I receive support to understand and overcome my learning difficulties."

"The facilities at SRUC are brilliant! All the tools you could ever need for the course are available for use Choosing to study this course has been one of the best decisions of my life I am hoping to get a job in a glasshouse caring for plant collections, or possibly taking a different route in horticulture altogether and further developing my skills and knowledge Wherever I end up career-wise I know I will be a lot happier than I was before "