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Nicole's Quick Take: Garden coaching is a rewarding second career for retirees and gardeners who want to turn their love of gardening into a business. Kate Corrigon had quick success with garden coaching after joining Garden Coach Academy, Gardenary's online course and certification program. She took the course after retiring, got certified a few months later, and landed her first big client only six weeks after certification.
By Nicole Johnsey Burke: Founder of Gardenary & Author of Kitchen Garden Revival
Meet Kate Corrigon of Crafted Gardens by Kate
Kate Corrigon runs Crafted Gardens by Kate in Walnut Creek, in California's East Bay, about 35 miles outside San Francisco. She's been gardening, in her words, "since I was knee-high to a duck."
After retiring, Kate decided to devote her life to gardening. She found the Kitchen Garden Academy course, which teaches garden design, and then applied to Garden Coach Academy, which helps passionate gardeners build a garden coaching business. She took both courses at the same time and achieved a lot in a short time frame.
Now, Kate designs edible kitchen gardens and native pollinator gardens made for the Bay Area's many microclimates, all with eco-friendly methods. You can follow along with her latest beautiful gardens on Instagram at @craftedgardensbykate.
What Does a Garden Coach Do?
A garden coach, sometimes called a garden consultant, helps people plan, build, and grow kitchen gardens they love. It's a business you can shape around your own strengths and schedule.
WHAT KATE OFFERS HER CLIENTS:
- Design consults: Custom garden plans for each client's space.
- Garden installs: Raised beds, trellises, paths, and planting, with licensed contractors for site work.
- Ongoing coaching: Regular visits for succession planting and seasonal turnovers.
- Seasonal care and workshops: Support for beginners and experienced gardeners alike.
Want the full picture? Here's what a garden coach or garden consultant does, plus 11 specialties of garden coaches.
Real garden coaches. Real businesses. You could be next.
2,000+ students have started their garden business with Garden Coach Academy — a 12-week program with everything you need to launch and scale your own garden coaching business.
Why Garden Coaching Is a Great Second Career After Retirement
Kate spent most of her early career working for others, but she always wanted her own business.
She didn't have a design background, but she decided not to let that hold her back. Instead, she found plenty of tools to turn the ideas in her head into plans she could hand to a client.
"I spent my life working for somebody else and have always wanted to have my own business. And this just felt natural because gardening is something that I love."
How to Turn Your Love of Gardening Into a Business
If you've ever searched for jobs working with plants, garden coaching might be the one you didn't know existed.
It's a business idea that fits retirees, career changers, and anyone looking for a career built around something they already love.
- Build on what you already know: Your years of gardening become your greatest asset.
- Set your own schedule: Kate books consults, installs, and coaching visits around her life.
- Start small: Coaching sessions need little more than your knowledge and your time.
- Grow as you go: Many coaches start with coaching, then add design, installs, and seasonal care.
How Kate Landed Her First Garden Coaching Client
Within about six weeks of getting certified, Kate received a client referral from Gardenary. Referrals go to certified coaches, and Kate turned hers into a happy, long-term client.
How Gardenary Referrals Work
When someone fills out Gardenary's garden design inquiry form, we match them with a certified coach near them. The form even asks about budget, so before their first conversation, Kate already knew the amount this client was ready to invest in a new garden.
Kate was also honest with her client that this was a brand-new business, and they trusted her anyway. You don't need years of experience to earn a client's trust. You need to show up prepared and care about their garden.
The Project
It was a big first project, the kind of install that sits at the high end of what new coaches take on.
WHAT THEY BUILT:
- Two large garden areas: About the size of five individual raised beds combined.
- Beautiful vertical structures: Two arches and three tuteurs for climbing crops and flowers.
- A one-of-a-kind path: Large pavers hand-chipped into a flower pattern around the beds.
- A full planting: The whole garden was installed and planted in one week.
From the first meeting to the finished garden took about five weeks. Then the client signed up for a full year of coaching and care, so Kate visits every two weeks to handle succession planting, talk through what's working, and plan each seasonal turnover.
That client has already referred Kate to her next-door neighbor.
How Kate Finds New Garden Coaching Clients
Beyond her Gardenary referral, Kate finds clients by being where gardeners already are.
- Local nurseries: Shoppers notice her overflowing cart and ask what she's planting, so she hands them her card.
- Farmers markets: She walks the flower and plant booths, chats with vendors and shoppers, and plans to have her own table next year.
- Happy clients: Her first client's referral is already turning into her next project.
- A coach community: She and a group of fellow coaches meet twice a month to share ideas and cheer each other on.
NOW ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS!
Garden Coach Academy
Join our 12-week course to launch your career as a garden consultant.
- Flexible schedule
- Meaningful income
- Do what you love
Kate’s Advice for Starting a Garden Coaching Business
Everything you need to get your business off the ground is inside Garden Coach Academy, from setting up your business and pricing your services to landing your first clients. That’s exactly how Kate went from a retired gardener to owning her own successful garden business.
On top of what she learned in the course, Kate has a few tips she shares with aspiring garden coaches. Her biggest one?
“Don’t get wrapped up in the minutiae.”
It’s easy to spend weeks perfecting a logo or a website before you ever talk to a client. Kate’s advice is to keep the setup simple and put your energy where it counts.
- Start with a simple landing page: Your website mainly shows people you’re legitimate. Spend more of your time marketing yourself.
- Network in your area: Get out where you want to work and talk to people. Nurseries and farmers markets are a great place to start.
- Find what you love: Use your own garden to discover the part of this work that brings you joy, then build your services around it.
- Stay open to new ideas: Restaurants, schools, and community centers all have gardens and need people who know how to care for them.
- Don’t let design scare you: Kate didn’t have a design background either. There are great tools that help you get your ideas on paper.
Most of all, Kate wants new coaches to know they don’t need to have it all figured out on day one. That’s the beauty of learning inside a program with live coaching calls and a community of coaches.
“You don’t have to know everything right away. You can learn as you go.”
Ready to Start Your Own Garden Coaching Business?
Kate went from retired gardener to certified garden coach with a growing client list in less than a year. If you've been dreaming about turning your love of gardening into a business, Garden Coach Academy walks you through every step, from setting up your business to finding your first clients.
WHAT YOU GET INSIDE GARDEN COACH ACADEMY:
- A 12-week online course: New modules each week, designed to get your business up and running, at your own pace.
- Live Q&A coaching calls: Bring your questions and learn from coaches who've already built thriving businesses.
- Business setup guidance: From registering your business to pricing your services, with tools like a raised bed cost calculator.
- Gardenary client referrals: Certified coaches can receive referrals from people looking for a garden coach, including details like their budget.
- Wholesale pricing: Coaches can buy Gardenary products at a discount for their clients.
Submit your application to Garden Coach Academy today.
Want to see Kate's work or book a consult? Visit Crafted Gardens by Kate. For more coaching stories, read how Rachael Carter built Floraculture, and check out my step-by-step guide to becoming a garden coach.
Looking for more inspiration? Read how they did it: 5 garden coach success stories.
Be Your Own Boss!
Garden Coach Academy teaches you how to build a garden coaching business that pays you what you're worth.
Learn the exact system to launch and scale a garden business from scratch.
- Get up and running in only 12 weeks!
- No income ceiling
- Meaningful work
- Flexible schedule
Garden Coaching as a Second Career FAQs
How long does it take to become a certified garden coach?
Kate applied to Garden Coach Academy in October and was certified by February. The program is designed to get you up and running in 12 weeks, but you can move at your own pace and keep access to the course.
How do new garden coaches find their first clients?
Certified Garden Coach Academy coaches can receive client referrals from Gardenary. Many coaches also find clients at local nurseries, farmers markets, and through referrals from happy clients.
How much do garden coaches charge per hour?
Rates vary by location and experience. Kate started at $75 an hour and now charges $125 an hour for coaching.
Do I need a design background to become a garden coach?
No. Kate didn't have one either. Today's design tools make it easy to turn your ideas into plans you can share with clients.
Do garden coaches need a contractor's license?
It depends on your state. In California, site prep and irrigation require a licensed landscape contractor, so coaches like Kate partner with licensed pros for that work. Check the rules where you live.
Is it too late to start a garden coaching business after retirement?
Not at all. Kate applied to Garden Coach Academy after retiring and had her own business with paying clients within a year. Your years of gardening experience are exactly what clients are looking for.
How can I make money from my love of gardening?
One of the best ways is to become a garden coach. Garden coaches get paid to design kitchen gardens, install them, and coach clients through each season. Garden Coach Academy teaches you how to set up and run that business step by step.
What's a good second career for someone who loves plants?
Garden coaching is a great fit. You set your own schedule, build on the gardening knowledge you already have, and help people grow food and flowers at home. Kate started her garden coaching business after retiring.
Do you need a certification to be a garden consultant?
You don't need a license to give garden advice, but a certification builds trust with clients. Certified Garden Coach Academy coaches can also receive client referrals from Gardenary.
How do Gardenary garden coach referrals work?
When someone fills out Gardenary's garden design inquiry form, Gardenary matches them with a certified Garden Coach Academy coach in their area. The form includes details like the client's budget, so coaches know what to expect before the first conversation.
How can garden coaches make extra money?
Beyond consults and installs, garden coaches can sell seedlings, offer summer vacation garden care, teach workshops, and provide seasonal care visits for year-round income.
How do I join Garden Coach Academy?
Garden Coach Academy requires an application. You can submit your application here.
