My rookie era: I wanted to think about something that wasn’t grim, so I enrolled in gardening school
Short courses on permaculture can be really expensive. When I found out there was a way I could study for free, I was really excited

TL;DR
- The author enrolled in a free part-time certificate III qualification in horticulture at Tafe.
- The course requires attending classes one night a week and every Saturday.
- Learning included safe use of garden power tools and plant identification.
- The author discovered surprising plant relationships, like asparagus and palm trees being in the same family.
- The author is applying new knowledge to help friends and family with their gardens and their own garden.
- The author finds horticulture studies a welcome, non-grim contrast to their job.