What better way to relax and get away from it all this spring than by taking a leisurely stroll in a stunning garden? The National Trust's Colby Woodland Garden at Amroth will be hosting a special open day on behalf of the National Garden Scheme (NGS) on Sunday. The three-ha (eight-acre) garden has a fine display of colour at the moment, with rhododendrons, fragrant magnolias, azaleas and camellias, underplanted with bluebells. But have you ever wondered about the behind the scenes work that gets a garden like Colby to look so impressive? Caring for some of Wales' finest and most important gardens requires a highly skilled, professional workforce, and this is where a long standing partnership between the National Trust and NGS has brought mutual benefit. The NGS provides five bursaries every year for apprentice gardeners on the Trust's award-winning garden training scheme, the NGS Careership. Steve Whitehead, the gardener at Colby Woodland Garden commented: "Gardeners are essential for the long-term future of all National Trust gardens; however, their professionalism and skills are often not recognised and careers advice in historic garden conservation is often limited. So a practical, hands-on modern apprenticeship of this kind is invaluable to carry out important conservation work which might otherwise not have been possible." The National Trust in Wales currently has two National Garden Scheme Careership students working as permanent members of staff, as well as a student who is currently in her second year of training. The careership is a three-year course that focuses heavily on the practical side of horticulture at a Trust garden. The students obtain numerous qualifications, such as an NVQ Level 2 and 3, a RHS General Certificate a Garden History Certificate and Spray Certificate amongst others. Annelise Brilli, a current Careership Student commented: "I was delighted to be accepted to do the course. I'm really enjoying the practical side - it's fantastic to be able to gain the essential skills that will help me to get a job in what I really love to do. All that in a beautiful setting." Colby Woodland Garden is open daily until October 30 from 10 am - 5 pm.
