ACS Distance Education

Horticulture is more exciting and rewarding than most people realise - passion, hobby, stress release, career, profitable business; or just a better environment to exist in - horticulture can provide any or all of these things. We've been talking, writing and teaching it for decades - www.hortcourses.com

Our cottage garden mid autumn (last week) on the Gold Coast. We started 2 years ago with very poor soil (rock, clay and poor drainage). After digging in lots of mulch, installing a few drains, and initially planting on mounds, the soil is now full of earthworms and becoming much better. Plants are growing better all the time, but some slower than others. One of the biggest issues still is wildlife digging up or eating some plants. We are largely controlling that with good results using moveable wire cages. Roses are gradually establishing on wire trellis either side - but that may take another year or two to provide the enclosed garden effect we are aiming at. The area is up a hill, 300 metres behind the house on our 2 acre property - providing us with a wonderful destination and place to escape to after work.

Anxiety is normal; and perhaps more common than you think. Learning to understand and deal with anxiety can be important for happiness, health and wellbeing. Watch this video our health science staff made for some more insight into the subject: https://lnkd.in/dajPGdBb If you want to go further, see these online courses we developed. https://lnkd.in/gKzWMZiX

Anxiety is normal; and perhaps more common than you think. Learning to understand and deal with anxiety can be important for happiness, health and wellbeing. Watch this video our health science staff made for some more insight into the subject: https://lnkd.in/dajPGdBb If you want to go further, see these online courses we developed. https://lnkd.in/gKzWMZiX

More people garden every week than people playing sport - but you wouldn't know it because unlike sport, they are not being watched while they have their fun. 7 minutes of inspiration for garden lovers, plant lovers, and horticulture professionals through to home gardeners. If you are not into gardening - you don't know what you are missing

We just put together this virtual visit to the recent garden show I attended in Melbourne https://lnkd.in/gztiuuzm

In my experience (45 years in remote education) it takes many months, if not years to train someone how to teach online - It isn't just the teacher though - the systems, learning materials and learning pathway strategy also have a big impact. Attending to one part of anything (incl. online education) requires putting all the parts together well - a car without an engine doesn't work. A good online teacher without resourcing or a properly conceived learning pathway doesn't work either.

Professional Development (PD) has become so much more important than what it was 50 years ago - Why? The world is changing faster than ever. There's great volatility in industry - how we do work, equipment and materials we use, supply chains, manpower availability, etc. Being able to adopt new and improved ways to do anything requires staying aware, and knowledgeable - and that means always learning about new things. This can be achieved through formal and informal PD study, networking, involvement with professional bodies and more. https://lnkd.in/giYX6ZZi

What's the best career advice I can give? Follow your passion. If you are passionate about something - you will be more motivated to succeed. You will learn better and do the work better. You are more likely to stick with the career path and not waste time jumping from one job to another. If you don't have a passion, find one. Try different things, visit trade shows, volunteer , join clubs, talk to lots of people, do some short courses.... anything to get a feel for what a particular industry is about. Don't waste your life working at anything just for the money. When you work at something you love you become a more positive, interesting and happy person. If you are an employer, employ someone with passion and you get a motivated employee. If you are a motivated employee, your employer is more likely to reward you. See our Fee interactive career advice - https://lnkd.in/gr_TV9nH

What soft skills do you have? Do you even realise how important they are? Soft skills are things that help you more effectively navigate the world around you. They make you better at communicating with others and organising your time, at work, home and play. They help you use materials, tools and equipment; and problem solve. Success is more likely to escape you without strong soft skills -even if you have knowledge expertise and qualifications. Soft skills do come more naturally to some people, but anyone can improve their soft skills with proper learning and experience. https://lnkd.in/gBQbqD-N