Boyoon’s Story
Growing change through gardening.
For Boyoon, Capel Manor College was a familiar and much-loved place long before she became a student. Living locally, she often visited Capel Manor Gardens with her children and always felt drawn to the space.
Although Boyoon had long enjoyed gardening, it was after the COVID-19 pandemic that she decided to take her passion further. “I wanted to learn gardening properly – professionally,” she said. “There aren’t many places that teach gardening in a really practical way, and Capel Manor College was one of the few nearby that offered exactly that.”
Boyoon began her studies with the RHS Certificate in Practical Horticulture, before progressing through the RHS Certificate in the Principles of Plant Growth and Development, Garden Design Certificate (Level 2) and now onto a Level 3 garden design course. Over four years she steadily built her skills and confidence, and this year she launched her own gardening business.
Originally trained as a teacher in South Korea, Boyoon also holds a master’s degree in Linguistics from SOAS and previously worked in translation. “Working from home was practical when raising children, but it wasn’t what I truly enjoyed,” she reflected. Her turning point came when she discovered a children’s gardening club. “Seeing children grow food, make things and eat what they’d grown was incredibly inspiring. I realised I wanted to be someone who helps make that happen.”
That inspiration became a long-term commitment to school gardening. Boyoon volunteers, works with schools and now runs the not-for-profit GrowCrew C.I.C, which focuses on improving outdoor spaces for children. Her work includes urban greening, biodiversity-friendly planting and transforming neglected school grounds into spaces where children can learn, play and grow.
“Many schools don’t have funding or staff to care for their gardens,” she said. “Since COVID, so many outdoor areas have been neglected. I wanted to help change that.”
Through the Enterprise Enfield Inspiring Women Startup Programme, Boyoon received support to set up her CIC and is now fundraising through Spacehive to expand her work. Her ambition is to secure further funding and extend her projects to schools, youth groups and community spaces, including plans to transform an overgrown orchard and allotment area into a thriving community garden.
Reflecting on her time at Capel Manor College, Boyoon speaks warmly about the learning experience. “The RHS Level 2 Practical course completely changed the way I see the world. Learning to identify plants and trees gave me a new perspective – once you learn it, you can never stop noticing.”
She also values the friendships she formed along the way. “I made some great friends at Capel Manor College who share a similar mindset. Even though we finished courses at different times, we still support each other and exchange ideas.”
Boyoon’s advice for future students:
“Find something you genuinely enjoy and explore it. Gardening and horticulture are essential life skills – you never know where they might lead. Helping people through gardening is incredibly rewarding, and seeing others smile because of what you’ve created makes it all worthwhile.”
