Training and motivating the plant teams in centres to be self sufficient in retail standards.Team developmentDriving profitsQuality and StandardsMerchandisingReports analysisRecruitmentStock ManagementOrderingPlanningCustomer service

Sanders garden centre was purchased by Blue Diamond group in August 2018 from Wyevale Garden centres. My role was to manage a team of staff to keep the bedding and houseplants section looking impeccable, ordering plants and making reserves with suppliers, duty management for entire centre. Me and the team worked hard to ensure attention to detail in delivering an inspirational plant department and achieving great profit. Hiring new staff and progressing existing members of the team so we'd provide excellent customer service as well as the best standards was one of my key responsibilities. This is a large retail centre and won best garden centre 2 times in the country. Sanders in a model store for many other centres to send their managers to be trained by myself. I and my team achieved great standards and sales since I joined the centre in April 2016. We achieved +50k more in plant sales vs the previous year in 2016, achieved HOT status for plant advice and service and model store standards. During 2017 to 2018 I had the privilege to be 1 of 13 Wyevale employees chosen to attend BBC gardeners World and Multi Chelsea flower show gold winner Adam Frosts garden design school each month. This 16-month course showed me how to go about designing large gardens and maintaining them throughout the seasons as well as expert tips from Adam regarding plant care

My job was a highly motivating experience. Keeping an excellent level of customer service was my main priority and this provided me with a great opportunity to advise customers with any plant and product enquires. My main duties as the tree and shrub assistant included keeping the plant area and A – Z beds of hardy plants in a highly presentable way, creating inspirational plant displays. Working with an enthusiastic team, I contributed to improving different parts of the outside area. I also had the opportunity to work inside the garden centre’s shop in different departments, such as ‘sundries’, and this has helped increase my product knowledge.

I was responsible for looking after the plants in the poly-tunnels and green-houses, potting on the plants, dividing, watering and preparing the plants to be delivered. I helped set up the new irrigation system, which ran throughout the nursery, while learning a great deal about the herbaceous perennials grown in the nursery.

I worked at the Howick branch of Kings Plant Barn which is a large garden centre chain throughout Auckland. The job was varied. I carried out many duties, including keeping the beds and display tables of plants in order, driving out on deliveries with plants, and planting them in many cases, also setting up water features for customers, using a forklift to arrange the pallets of bags and bales in the drive-through, and loading and unloading lorries. I lifted the bags of compost, bark, sand and gravel into the customers’ cars and answered phone enquires about various garden/plant problems. I arranged new stock and organised transfers between branches, together with the necessary administration. I worked in the water gardens and had to look after the fish tanks. I advised people on products such as rock water fountains, filters and pumps. I gained knowledge about the many different plants: the New Zealand natives, succulents, roses, conifers, vegetables, perennials and water plants, and was then able to confidently advise customers about these plants and other products for the sale in the centre.

I was responsible for looking after the plants in the poly-tunnels and green-houses, potting on the plants, dividing, watering and preparing the plants to be delivered. I helped set up the new irrigation system, which ran throughout the nursery, while learning a great deal about the herbaceous perennials grown in the nursery.