What does a gardener do?

As a gardener, you will: raise and look after plants from seeds or cuttings dig, plant and weed flower beds and borders tidy overgrown shrubs and trees and clear paths control pests that damage plants use equipment safely, like lawn mowers and hedge trimmers build items such as sheds, patios or fences

How do you become a gardener?

You can get into this job through a college course, an apprenticeship, working your way up and volunteering.

How much does a gardener earn?

Starter salaries are around £24,000 a year, rising to about £32,000 with experience.

How many hours does a gardener work?

Typically 38 to 42 hours a week.

Gardener

Gardeners grow and look after plants in parks, gardens and other green spaces.

Starter salary£24,000 a year
Experienced£32,000 a year
Typical hours38 to 42 a week
Green jobYes

What you'll do

As a gardener, you will:

raise and look after plants from seeds or cuttings
dig, plant and weed flower beds and borders
tidy overgrown shrubs and trees and clear paths
control pests that damage plants
use equipment safely, like lawn mowers and hedge trimmers
build items such as sheds, patios or fences

Working environment

You could work in a garden, in a park, at a client's business, at a client's home or in woodland.

Your working environment may be at height and outdoors in all weathers.

You may need to wear protective clothing.

Skills and knowledge you'll need

You'll need:

the ability to work well with your hands
to be thorough and pay attention to detail
the ability to work well with others
customer service skills
the ability to operate and control equipment
the ability to use, repair and maintain machines and tools
physical skills like lifting, bending and reaching
ambition and a desire to succeed
to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device

How to become a gardener

You can get into this job through:

a college course
an apprenticeship
working towards this role
applying directly
specialist courses run by a professional body

College

You could do a course in gardening or horticulture to learn some of the skills and knowledge you need.

Courses include:

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

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, for a level 3 course
2 or more GCSEs at grades 9 to 3 (A* to D), or equivalent, for a level 2 course
2 or fewer GCSEs at grades 3 to 1 (D to G), or equivalent, for a level 1 course

Apprenticeship

You could do a:

Horticulture or Landscape Construction Operative Level 2 Intermediate Apprenticeship
Horticulture or Landscaping Supervisor Level 3 Advanced Apprenticeship
Horticulture and Landscaping Technical Manager Level 5 Higher Apprenticeship

Entry requirements

You'll usually need:

some GCSEs, usually including English and maths, or equivalent, for an intermediate apprenticeship
5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C), or equivalent, including English and maths, for an advanced apprenticeship
4 or 5 GCSEs at grades 9 to 4 (A* to C) and A levels, or equivalent, for a higher or degree apprenticeship

Work

You might find it helpful when looking for work if you have some practical experience, for instance from working in a garden centre.

You could also start as an assistant gardener with an organisation and work your way up.

Volunteering

Many organisations offer volunteering opportunities, for example:

The Conservation Volunteers
National Trust
The Wildlife Trusts

You'll also find volunteering placements through Do IT and the National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) .

Direct application

You can apply directly for jobs. Employers value work experience and skills in gardening. Horticultural knowledge and enthusiasm are also important.

Other routes

You can take a course with The Royal Horticultural Society to learn more about gardening or complete a qualification that may help you to get a job.

Restrictions and requirements

You'll need to:

have a Certificate of Competence , if you carry out hazardous tasks using a chainsaw

Career path and progression

With experience, you could:

become a head gardener, garden designer or horticultural manager
set up your own business, gardening for private customers
move into a related role, such as landscaper , groundsperson or arboricultural officer
do a qualification to work as a tree surgeon

Guides for this industry

Environmental Sciences: pay, interviews and getting started →

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