landscaper

The work

Landscapers, or landscape gardeners, construct and maintain gardens, parks, sports grounds and other outdoor areas. They also work on interior landscaping projects, often in shopping centres or large office blocks.

The work can involve:

• discussing requirements with clients
• preparing the ground (including earthworks and drainage)
• interpreting plans and drawings
• ordering supplies
• turfing and seeding lawns
• planting and pruning trees and shrubs 
• putting in other plants
• laying paving
• constructing rock or water gardens.

Landscapers use a range of tools and equipment, including:

• spades, forks and other garden tools
• mini-diggers and excavators
• tractor-mounted equipment and dump trucks
• cement mixers and stone-cutting saws
• chainsaws and climbing equipment for treework.

The type of work depends on the time of year and the state of the ground. 

Hours and Environment

The basic working week can be up to 40 hours, which can include weekends. Early starts are common.

Landscapers work outdoors in all weathers. The work is physically demanding, involving digging, pushing loaded wheelbarrows and laying paving slabs.

Travelling to a job may take up a lot of time, and some jobs involve temporary lodging away from home. A driving licence is useful.

Skills and Interests

To be a landscaper you should:

• be physically fit to cope with strenuous tasks
• be creative, with the ability to interpret drawings
• be interested in the environment and in plants and their effective use
• be able to work quickly to meet deadlines
• have organisational skills to co-ordinate work with other tradespeople
• have practical skills to work with a variety of tools.

Entry

You will not always need educational qualifications, but most employers will prefer you to have horticulture experience.

You can do full-time courses at colleges specialising in agricultural/horticultural courses including:

• BTEC First Diploma in Horticulture, which includes a unit in basic landscape construction.
• RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) Level 2 Certificate in Horticulture
• RHS Level 3 Advanced Certificate in Horticulture
• BTEC National Certificate/Diploma in Horticulture (Garden Design) and Horticulture (Amenity).

Entry requirements vary so you should check with colleges. Details of RHS qualifications and course providers are on the RHS website. Please see the Further Information.

Higher level qualifications include three-year degrees, two-year HNC/HNDs or two or three year foundation degrees in Landscape Construction, Landscape Management and similar subjects. You will usually need A levels/H grades or equivalent qualifications and at least one science subject at GCSE/S grade (A-C/1-3) or A level/H grade. However, entry requirements vary, so you should check with colleges or universities.

For information about foundation degrees see Foundation Degree Forward

To search for colleges and universities offering foundation degrees, HNDs and degrees see Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS)

Training

Once you are employed in landscaping you can work towards NVQs/SVQs at Level 1 in Horticulture and levels 2 to 4 in Amenity Horticulture, which have options in landscaping.

For some tasks such as operating chainsaws and using pesticides, you are required by law to have certificates of competence. These are available through the National Proficiency Tests Council (NPTC) and the Scottish Skills Testing Service (SSTS). Both the NPTC and the SSTS offer a range of other short courses. Please see the Further Information section for contact details.

You may be able to do other qualifications such as foundation degrees and degrees on a part-time basis whilst in employment.

Those employed full-time in landscaping can apply for membership of the British Association of Landscape Industries (BALI), which provides members with information and advice, training support and seminars, networking opportunities and information on job opportunities. Student membership is also available and includes a student helpline.

Apprenticeships may be available for those under the age of 24. In England these are currently Apprenticeships (level 2) and Advanced Apprenticeships (level 3). To find out more about these, visit www.apprenticeships.org.uk

Apprenticeships may be different in other areas. For further information see Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland

Opportunities

Most landscapers are employed by landscape contractors or by local authority parks departments. There are a few openings with the National Trust, English Heritage and botanical gardens. Contractors usually employ a mixture of permanent staff and sub-contractors, depending on the amount of work they have. The work can be seasonal, with more opportunities in the summer.

In larger firms, progression to charge hand, foreman/woman or contracts manager may be possible. With experience, landscapers may become self-employed contractors.

Annual Income

Figures are intended as a guideline only.

New entrant landscapers earn from around £10,000 to around £16,000 a year.
Experienced landscapers could earn from £17,000 to over £20,000.
Earnings for self-employed landscapers will depend on the amount of work they are able to obtain.

Income for landscapers varies depending on location and experience. Overtime payments may supplement income.

Further information

14-15 Belgrave Square
London
SW1X 8PS Stoneleigh Park
Stoneleigh
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
Tel: 024 7685 7300 Ingliston
Edinburgh
EH28 8NE
Tel: 0131 333 2040 Lantra House
Stoneleigh Park
Nr Coventry
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
Tel: 0845 707 8007 Landscape House
Stoneleigh Park
Warwickshire
CV8 2LG
Tel: 0870 770 4971

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