Don’t panic, we train
Sometimes my reports from the field sound like fiction. Picture what is allegedly an experienced landscaper collecting full tarps with a wheelbarrow. Everyone was busy so driving the truck around didn’t make sense and, in any case, there weren’t that many tarps to pick.
Now imagine my surprise when the dude, already featured in an earlier blog post– showed up asking what to do about a tarp full of branches. What’s this? This last remaining tarp also happened to be the lightest but, instead of completing the simple task of tarp collection, he was asking for help! If this was not a family blog I would call him a little bitch.
Training apprentices
This time-wasting affair highlights the importance of having journeymen horticulturists on staff to train apprentices in the field. That’s because not everything can get covered in class; most of the training happens in the field. Hands on. And if you’re lucky, Red Seal Vas is there to gently guide you to greatness.
But if you waste time, you will hear about it.
Tarp boat rescue
When you have one full tarp left to pick up, you have to solve your own problem. Especially when you have lots to say every day. Trust me, every journeyman knows about cocky workers.
When you’re looking at your rectangular tarp full of dry branches, tie up the the two closest corners so the tarp looks like a boat. Then put it on your wheelbarrow, dump it on the back of the truck and rejoin your crew members. Easy. Study the pictures below and work like a pro.
Conclusion
The key ideas behind the landscape horticulture apprenticeship program are sound. Apprentices go to school for four to six weeks and then spend the rest of the year working in the field alongside journeymen. That is where the hands-on learning happens; and if you are lucky, your journeyman enjoys teaching.
Even if the lesson is something as simple as tying up a debris tarp into a boat.
