How to Turn Your Gardening Knowledge & Experience into a Side Hustle or Even a Career

I was extremely nervous to start a business in the garden industry. I mean, I didn't know everything about plants. I didn't have a degree in Horticulture. I wasn't a Master Gardener or a certified landscape designer or anything close.

I was just someone who was obsessed with the garden, so obsessed that I couldn't stop learning more and telling people about all the cool things plants can do.

I put myself out there anyway and started calling myself a garden consultant. I was direct with my clients about the things I knew how to do in the garden and what I could help them learn.

As it turned out, not a single client asked me what my degree was in or what kind of certifications I had. The only thing clients would ask me is whether I could help them start their garden or solve a garden-related problem they were facing.

So take it from me, when it comes to making money using your gardening knowledge, it's not degrees or certifications that matter. It's your commitment to helping others learn the little tips and tricks that have worked for you over the years.

With that in mind, here are 10 things you can sell if you have garden experience but not necessarily the impressive-sounding degrees or certifications to prove it.

10 Products You Can Sell as a Garden Consultant

Here are 10 things you can sell for around $100 each working as someone with garden experience:

1. Personal garden consultation

2. Year-long planting plan

3. Garden coaching session

4. Specific crop guides for your town or city

5. Herb garden workshop

6. Kids' garden class

7. Seasonal eating class for employees of a local business

8. Guided garden tour 

9. Garden-to-table party

10. Guided shopping trip to the local nursery or plant store

Did you notice that last one? People will pay you to take them to the plant store and show them what to buy and what's a waste of their money. If you're here, I'm guessing that plant shopping is one of your favorite things to do ever, so did you just learn that your dream job does exist? Teaching clients how to find things that work for them in an industry that just throws a bunch of plants and products at them, no matter what their situation is, is very rewarding. You might feel strange charging for something you enjoy doing, but it can actually bring so much value to the clients.

Now let's look at some of the other products in more detail to give you a better idea what they entail.

You Can Sell a Personal Garden Consultation 

This is my favorite product to sell, but you might be wondering what exactly is a garden consultation?

A garden consultation is a short appointment (usually an hour-long slot) during which you can help a client determine the best way to start their own garden based on their gardening skills, current lifestyle, and available outdoor space.

Where Can You Have a Garden Consultation?

• The client's residence
• A community space like a park or common area
• A local business
• A school

What does a garden consultation entail?

First, the client books an appointment with you, either through your website or via text or call. Before you head to the consultation, you'd want to make sure you have all the essentials, including a notebook, a pen, and a measuring tape so you can see how big of a space the client has for a potential garden. It's also great to bring along pictures of gardens you've designed or set up for your client to look at. Pictures can really pique their excitement about starting a garden. I like to bring along a printed portfolio of gardens my company has created so that the client can flip through it while we walk around their space.

During the consultation, you assess things like sunlight and take measurements of the client's space. You learn from them what their dislikes and preferences are so you can get a better sense of what you might create together.

From there, you might sketch out three to four design possibilities for how their garden might be laid out. Consultations usually wrap up by discussing the next steps so the client can make their dream garden a possibility.

You Can Sell a Year-Long Planting Plan for Your Area

This is such an easy product to create, and it can really help out inexperienced gardeners and those new to your city or town. As someone who's moved a lot and struggled to figure out what I can grow when in each new city, I can attest that gardeners who have local knowledge are a huge asset.

All you need to create this product is experience growing different fruits and vegetables in your climate. Create a breakdown of the best things to plant each month of the year.

I have, for example, a notebook I created for Nashville called "52 Harvests a Year". It shows my clients what's possible for them to plant and harvest every single month once their garden is set up.

In order to charge up to $100 for something like this, you would need to customize it to the client's specific growing space and plant priorities. You could also do a more general plan for your area that you'd offer for less.

You Can Sell a Garden Coaching Session

Coaching is the easiest product to offer. You don't need any equipment or a storefront. You just bring your gardening tools to the client's home and show them what to do in their garden. They can ask you questions and take notes while you break down simple processes for them to help them be more successful in the future. You spend an hour helping them, and then you're done. You might come back every season for a year, or it could be a one-time thing. You could coach multiple people at once or work one-on-one. There are so many possibilities!

More and more people are looking for coaching like this when it comes to their favorite hobbies or things they want to get better at. (You can read more about why this type of coaching for adults is both needed and desired in our society here.)

You Can Sell a Guided Garden Tour

You might look at this product and think you need a huge garden, like the size of Versailles or something. You don't actually need to cover a huge space. Instead, you'd cover a small space, perhaps just a couple raised beds, in great detail. This is helpful to show people what's possible and to generate lots of excitement for their own potential garden.

You Can Sell Tickets to a Garden-to-Table Party

I hosted a garden-to-table event to celebrate the opening of my first business. When my mother heard about my intention to host a dinner party, her response was immediate: "You're going to cook for all those people?"

In reality, I didn't have to do anything fancy. My intention was to show how garden-fresh produce is so delicious you can enjoy it raw or just roast it with some EVOO, salt, and pepper.

Garden-to-table parties are not only a great way to get people excited about the idea of growing a little bit of their own food, they're also good for building better relationships with potential clients and students.

So, What Could You See Yourself Selling with Your Gardening Knowledge?

Which one sounds like the most fun to you? Garden consultations will always be my bread and butter since that's where I got my start, but guided plant shopping trips are a close second!

I love consultations because you get to dream up gardens with people who are excited to make the garden a big part of their everyday life. You can help them overcome doubts and confusions and simplify the process for them to take their garden to the next level. And this is something you can provide as a garden expert—no degrees or certifications required.

If you love the idea of garden consulting, then you've got to check out Gardenary's Consultant Certification program to learn more. The ideas I mentioned here are just the beginning of a very long list. In fact, I've thought up too many ways to make money as a garden consultant. My problem is I don't have enough time in the day to do them all. But I'd love to share them with you!

Thanks for being here and helping to spread your love of gardening!