Profession landscape gardener

Gardeners plant and maintain public or private gardens and lawns, and construct garden features.

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Personality Type

• Realistic / Conventional

Tasks landscape gardener

• Prepare the ground, e.g. prepare soil, install drainage, and level the ground.
• Plant trees, hedges, garden plants, grass, etc.
• Construct features and facilities within gardens, such as paths or paved areas, walls, rockeries, ponds and water features, sheds and fences.
• Check the health of plants and trees, identify and treat weeds, pests and diseases, and apply mulch and fertilisers.
• Prune and trim trees, shrubs and hedges, and install plant supports and protection.
• Roll, mow, aerate and edge lawns.
• Raise plants from seeds or cuttings.
• Install, operate and maintain irrigation systems.
• Tidy garden areas (e.g. pathways), for example by clearing leaves, snow and litter.
• Maintain and repair gardening tools, equipment and structures.
• Advise clients on garden maintenance and answer questions.

Related professions horticulture, gardening

• First line supervisor horticultural nursery gardeners
• Floral arranger
• Flower binder
• Garden architect
• Garden helper
• Gardener (cemetery)
• Gardener (public parks)
• Greenkeeper sports grounds
• Groundsman
• Head groundsman
• Horticultural grower
• Horticultural technician
• Horticultural worker
• Landscape architect

Knowledge

• Landscaping materials

  Field of information which distinguishes certain required materials, such as wood and wood chips, cement, pebbles and soil for landscaping purposes.

• Pruning techniques

  The techniques of selectively removing parts of trees and plants to foster better growth and regeneration.

• Horticulture principles

  The standard horticultural practices, including but not limited to planting, pruning, corrective pruning, and fertilisation.

• Design principles

  The elements used in design such as unity, scale, proportion, balance, symmetry, space, form, texture, colour, light, shade and congruence and their application into practice.

• Environmental legislation in agriculture and forestry

  Awareness on enviromental legislation, policies, principles relevant for agriculture and forestry. Awareness of the impact on the enviroment of local agricultural precedures and practices. Means to adjust the production to new enviromental regulations and policies.

• Plant disease control

  Types and features of diseases in plants and crops. Different kinds control methods, activities using conventional or biological methods taking into account the type of plant or crop, environmental and climate conditions and health and safety regulations. Storage and handling of products.

• Plant species

  The variety of plants, trees and shrubs and their special characteristics. 

• Pruning types

  Different approached to pruning trees, such as thinning, removal, etc.

• Pest control in plants

  Types and features of pests in plants and crops. Different kinds of pest control methods, activities using conventional or biological methods taking into account the type of plant or crop, environmental and climate conditions and health and safety regulations. Storage and handling of products.

• Ecology

  The study of how organisms interact and their relation to the ambient environment.

• Principles of landscape construction

  Principles and techniques to prepare ground or site for construction of wooden and brick terraces, fences and ground surfaces. This includes knowlege on how to measure and plan out the site, lay stone and tiles.

Skills

• Plant green plants

  Plant seeds manually or by using ground equipment.

• Execute disease and pest control activities

  Execute disease and pest control activities using conventional or biological methods taking into account the climate, plant or crop type, health and safety and environmental regulations. Store and handle pesticides in accordance with recomandation and legislation.

• Perform weed control operations

  Carry out crop spraying for weeds and plant disease operations in line with national industry and customer requirements.

• Build fences

  Put up fences using a pothole digger, shovel, tamper, and other manual tools.

• Prepare the ground

  Prepare the ground for laying turf or seeding by clearing the area, choosing the optimal soil, choosing the ground deepness and the appropriate fertilisers.

• Nurse trees

  Plant, fertilise and trim trees, shrubs and hedges. Examine trees to assess their condition and determine treatment. Work to eradicate insects, fungus and diseases which are harmful to trees, assist with prescribed burning, and work on preventing erosion.

• Prune plants

  Carry out pruning with relevant tools, related to the different purposes like maintenance pruning, pruning for growth, pruning for fruiting, debudding and volume reduction.

• Prepare planting area

  Prepare planting area and soil for planting by for example fertilising, mulching by hand or using mechanical tools or machinery; prepare seeds and plants for sowing and planting by ensuring the quality of seed and plants.Sow and plant by hand, using mechanical tools or machinery and in accordance with national legislation.

• Put up signs

  Put up signs using a posthole digger, shovel, tamper, and other manual tools.

• Perform pest control

  Carry out crop spraying pest and disease operations in line with National industry and customer requirements. Carry out slurry and fertiliser spreading in accordance with local environmental regulations

• Propagate plants

  Carry out propagation activities by applying appropriate propagation methods, such as grafted cutting propagation or generative propagation considering the plant type. Carry out propagation control considering the required terms and conditions for specific plant type.

• Use gardening equipment

  Use gardening equipment such as clippers, sprayers, mowers, chainsaws, complying to health and safety regulations.

• Nurse plants

  Determine the need for nursing activities and carry out nursing by cultivating, maintaining, watering and spraying the plants and trees manually or using appropriate equipment, taking into account the plant species and following safety requirements.

• Work in outdoor conditions

  Can cope with the different climate conditions such as heat, rain, cold or in strong wind.

• Grow plants

  Carry out plant growing activities. Carry out grow control considering the required terms and conditions for specific plant type.

• Transport physical resources within the work area

  Transport physical resources such as products, equipment, materials, and liquids. Carefully load, transport and unload resources safely and efficiently, keeping the load in good condition.

• Prepare planting area for planting

  Prepare planting area and soil for planting by fertilising, mulching and performing weed control. Take the conditions of the area, soil and plant type into account.

• Maintain landscape site

  Maintain the site by mowing, applying fertiliser, controlling weed, aerating, trimming and pruning. Perform clean-ups according to needs and requirements.

• Maintain ground

  Mow grass, rake leaves, and remove fallen limbs and trash. Remove weeds from landscapes in parks, greenways and other properties. Maintain the grounds and landscapes of private clients and businesses. Perform maintenance such as fertilising; spraying for weed and pest controls; planting, pruning and removing trees and shrubs; mow, trim, edge, cut and clean up uncontrolled weeds.

• Prune hedges and trees

  Cut and prune trees and hedges in ornemental forms, considering botanical and esthetical aspects.

• Operate landscaping equipment

  Operate a variety of landscaping equipment such as chain saws, line trimmers, tillers, back hoes, bobcats, bed edgers, mowers, blowers, dump trailers, tillers, sod cutters, weed eaters, plant augers, and drills.

• Handle chemical products for soil and plants

  Handle chemical products for soil and plants includes cleaning the equipment used for spreading and spraying, mixing of chemicals, preparing pesticides and herbicides for spraying, preparing fertilisers for spreading.

Optional knowledge and skills

Source: Sisyphus ODB