How to become a gardener

What does a gardener do?

Unlike someone who just enjoys gardening as a hobby, a professional gardener works with plants as their full-time job. This can involve working in both public and private spaces such as gardens or parks.

Some typical gardener duties include:

• Caring for all sorts of flowers, trees, shrubs, and plants
• Pulling weeds and keeping the area well-maintained
• Pruning trees and shrubs
• Digging and planting flower beds and borders
• Deciding on the layout and aesthetic of a garden or park
• Potentially undertaking other outdoor tasks such as assembling fences, laying patio, or putting up sheds

Skills to become a gardener

As with any job, there are certain skills which you might want to develop if you’re planning on becoming a gardener. This includes the following:

• Working well with your hands: A lot of gardening tasks need to be done by hand, so you need to be able to work well with your hands
• Physical strength and endurance: Being a gardener involves a lot of physical activity so it’s important to have good stamina. You’ll also need to be able to operate and control heavy equipment such as lawn mowers and hedge trimmers
• Knowledge of gardening and landscaping: This can apply to all trades, but having a good knowledge of gardening and landscaping will only make you better at your job
• Patience: With gardening, most things are long-term projects and require patience as they can’t happen overnight. For example, plants need time to grow and mature
• Creativity: If you think of yourself as a creative person then this can give you an instant advantage. This is because, as a gardener, you need to be able to envisage what the space could look like

What qualifications do you need to become a gardener?

Unlike some other trades, there are no formal qualifications you need to complete before starting work as a professional gardener. However, there are lots of gardening courses out there which can help you improve and learn new skills.

Remember, having qualifications under your belt will help you win the trust of homeowners more easily.

There are various gardening qualifications to choose from. We’ll talk more about the different qualifications you might want to consider in the next section.

Ways to get into the role and become a gardener

Perhaps you’ve got no idea where to start? If you’re interested in becoming a gardener, here are some of the ways you can get your foot in the door.

Courses and qualifications

Whilst completing a course isn’t necessary in order to become a gardener, they’re still worth looking into. As we mentioned, qualifications will only help to boost your employability and win the trust of homeowners.

There are lots of different types of courses to choose from, and some might suit your personal circumstances better than others. For instance, you could do a part-time course if you’ve got a busy schedule.

It’s also important to bear in mind that each course or qualification will have its own entry requirements.

College courses

Choosing to do a college course in gardening or horticulture is a great option for building yourself a solid foundation. With this path, you’ll be able to develop your skills and gain important knowledge that will be handy when working as a gardener later on.

Some gardening courses at college include:

• Level 1 Certificate in Horticulture Skills
• Level 2 Diploma in Practical Horticulture Skills
• Level 3 Extended Diploma in Horticulture

RHS Qualifications

Designed by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), there are three different levels of qualifications – Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3. These qualifications will typically be completed over the course of one year on a part-time basis.

You can find more information about the RHS qualifications on the official RHS website.

An apprenticeship

Going down the path of an apprenticeship allows you to gain valuable work experience whilst being paid. Again, you can choose from different types of apprenticeships depending on what you want to focus on.

Things to consider before becoming a gardener

First off, working as a professional gardener is very different to doing some gardening as a hobby. There’s a lot more to the role than just planting some flowers. Making it your job requires a lot of hard work and dedication which is perfect if you love working with plants.

It may sound obvious but being a gardener involves working outside regardless of the weather. From heavy rain to blaring sun, you need to be happy to work through all sorts of weather conditions.

One of the best parts is that you can kickstart your career as a gardener no matter your age. Whether you’re 16 or 50, you can still follow the same steps to get into the role.

There is also the opportunity to work for yourself and set up your own gardening business. As well as opportunities to expand your skill set by providing winter garden work or offering landscaping services on top of gardening work.

Becoming a gardener FAQs

How much can you make as a gardener?

Like any other trade, your earning potential as a gardener will increase with experience and responsibility. For example, a gardener apprentice the salary might start out at around £9,000 a year. Meanwhile, a business owner of a limited company could earn over £65,000 per year.

To get a better idea of what your salary might look like, you can read our full blog on how much gardeners earn.

How long does it take to become a gardener?

As you don’t need qualifications, there is no certain timeframe for becoming a gardener.

How long it takes will depend on which route you decide to follow whether that be training on-the-job or completing a course. For instance, courses can vary from 6 months to a few years whilst you can get started immediately as an apprentice.

What is the difference between a gardener and a landscaper?

To put it simply, gardeners tend to focus on the health and wellbeing of plants. Landscaper responsibilities, on the other hand, usually involve outdoor building work such as patios, walls, and driveways. This is also referred to as ‘hard’ landscaping.

Although they are separate professions, the two roles can overlap. This is why some gardeners and landscapers choose to offer both types of services. However, if, for example, your gardening company didn’t provide landscaping services. You would want to reflect this in your gardening company name.