My career began with practical farm work in East Sussex then agricultural buildings surveying then back to farm work in West Sussex and agricultural college, from which I obtained a national diploma in agriculture. I went on to working farm management in the West Country, then returned to Sussex which always has been and remains my home county.

Here, I continued with contract and relief work and then some computer work, as I was becoming concerned (rightly as it turned out) about the viability of a longer term future in farming. During this time I was also earning money through freelance writing, mainly factual articles about agriculture and the countryside and my work has appeared in both National and local publications.

I decided to turn a hobby into a job and began with garden maintenance. Like many people in practical jobs, my knowledge and skills are based on extensive experience and enthusiasm for the work, assisted by books and an ongoing desire to continue to learn as well as picking others' brains as necessary and the fact that I still spend much time studying, collecting and photographing plants.

I have found that all of my previous work has been of use in the garden work, from writing specifications, carrying out surveys and drawing plans for farm buildings twenty-five years ago to computer studies much more recently to learning to touch-type in between. My training and time in agriculture has been invaluable as well.

I enjoy and I am interested in walking with my dog, plant photography, writing, reading, most aspects of agriculture and horticulture, the rural life, collecting plants, on and the peacefulness of nature and the seaside. I am an enthusiastic pub-goer and I believe that pubs are one of the hubs of rural village life.

 

Thanks for reading and visiting. Owen Clutton. Updated 2011.