Have you ever wondered who creates beautiful public gardens or maintains our parks? Or perhaps you’re interested in a career in landscaping and want to know more about what the job involves?
In this article, we’ll take a look at what a landscaper is, what they do and how to become a landscaper.
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What is a landscaper?
Landscapers use their knowledge and skills to design and create outdoor spaces. These might be public spaces like parks or private spaces like gardens and golf courses.
You could be a landscape designer or architect generating ideas for outdoor space and working on plans or a landscape gardener, responsible for creating and maintaining the space.
Some landscapers will be involved at all these levels, working with clients to design a garden, for example, before doing the hands-on work required to create it.
What does a landscaper do?
There are many different aspects to a landscaper’s job. Here are a few of the things a landscaper might do on a day-to-day basis.
- Liaise with your client about their vision and what they need. Your client might be an individual, a business, a garden center or local council.
- Follow plans made by architects.
- Order any supplies you need.
- Prepare the land or soil.
- Create lawns, flower beds, borders, and pathways.
- Install water features like ponds and fountains or any other garden features.
- Plant flowers, trees and shrubs.
- Pruning.
- Offer advice on how to maintain the space after it’s been created or provide ongoing maintenance services.
Landscapers spend much of their time outdoors in all weather and they work with a wide range of tools on a daily basis, including power tools, so they need to be safety-conscious.
Before you start working as a landscaper, you’ll need to ensure you have all the right equipment and tools for the job, that you feel confident using them safely, and that you have tool boxes to store them in.
How to Become a Landscaper: The Steps
There are different routes to becoming a landscape gardener.
Study
You can study at college for landscaping qualifications. This will help you build up your knowledge and skills before you start looking for work or set yourself up as a landscaper.
Courses are available from a Level 1 Diploma right through to a T-level Qualification, which is broadly equivalent to three A-levels but is more practice-based, offering students the opportunity to learn technical knowledge and skills.
You can also apply for specialist courses run by professional bodies, such as The Royal Horticultural Society or the British Association of Landscape Industries.
Apprenticeship
You can become a landscaper by undertaking an apprenticeship in horticulture or landscape construction. To do an apprenticeship, you’ll typically need several GCSEs, including English and Maths.
Work-based
If you want to go straight into work and learn on the job, you can apply for positions as an assistant landscaper or gardener and work your way up. If you can show that you have some experience – even if it’s voluntary work – this will help boost your CV.
In Summary
Landscaping can be an interesting and rewarding career for people who enjoy spending time outdoors.
There are several different routes into the profession and once you start working as a landscaper, you’ll find no two days are the same. Check out how to become a farmer in Ontario in 8 Steps.