From Man United to garden design, Nadine Mansfield switches up her career
Once upon a time, Nadine Mansfield worked for British Airways, Key 103 radio station, Manchester United football club, Manchester airport and The Jockey Club over the years.
“Let me pop you in the time machine,” begins the garden designer as she dives into her transition from working with football legends such as Bobby Charlton and Sir Alex Ferguson to working with lawns, flowers and shrubs.
After 20 years in marketing, Mansfield put an end to her corporate career in 2018. During a time when she and her partner were moving house, her blank canvas of a garden sparked the beginning of a beautiful relationship with horticulture. “I found myself at the garden centre every five minutes. I thought, ‘I’m really enjoying this. I think I might retrain’”.
Mansfield began attending night school studying horticultural courses at the local college where she was working towards the practical horticulture level 2 qualification. “It was the biggest laugh ever, because it just didn’t feel like studying at all.” At the same time, her favourite garden centre, Nottcutts, was hiring.
A dream job, “I put my hat in the ring,” Mansfield explains. Not only was she learning during school hours, she was picking up real-life experience after surrounding herself with people like Tony Jones, the plant area manager at Nottcutts.
Pretty quickly, the newly-trained garden designer found herself pulled between friendly requests to help with maintaining and improving other people’s gardens. “I thought, ‘you know what? I haven’t got anything to lose. I ran my own marketing business for years’,” and so, in 2020, Mansfield set up Nadine Mansfield Garden Design.
During the months after the COVID pandemic broke out, while everyone was spending time in their gardens in sunny weather, the demand for Mansfield’s new company in her local area only grew. She knew she made the right decision, as her spark was always there, it had just been buried:
“Looking back, I’ve been surrounded by horticulture, so it makes sense. My mum was a florist, and my grandad was hugely into horticulture. I think I’ve now found what was there, but just a little bit later.”
Six years later, almost to the day, Mansfield still loves every second of her career change. A life of craving fresh air, nature and greenery, she’s always found pleasure in spending time outdoors. “My job now just makes sense,” she adds.
Nadine Mansfield’s The Better New Build garden at RHS Tatton Park 2024, built by Garden360UK
Last year, Mansfield took part in RHS Tatton Park’s new career changer category, as her show garden debut. Designed for new designers, plantspeople and contractors over the age of 31, the category aimed to help kick-start their careers in horticulture. “What an amazing experience that was,” she says. One day, Mansfield aspires to reach RHS Chelsea Flower Show.
Shortlisted for Garden Designer at this year’s Pro Landscaper Business Awards, in association with Paving Superstore, Mansfield offers advice for those looking for a switch up in their career:
“If you really want to do it, don’t be scared. Another piece of advice I do have though is get a great accountant if you start your own business! Plant knowledge is also really helpful, you should pull in a network of people who’ve got experience and also just always continue learning.”
Perhaps a little daunting at first, Mansfield continues to grow into her new career. From award-winning garden designs, to shortlisted industry awards, she heads into another year of networking, learning and thriving.