- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- the ability to work well with others
- ambition and a desire to succeed
- sensitivity and understanding
- physical skills like movement, coordination, dexterity and grace
- the ability to work well with your hands
- customer service skills
- knowledge of English language
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
Your day-to-day tasks may include:
- raising plants from seeds or cuttings
- digging, planting and weeding flower beds and borders
- pruning shrubs and trees
- checking the health of plants and controlling pests
- using machinery like lawn mowers and hedge trimmers
- looking after the appearance of plants and the surrounding landscape
- cleaning and maintaining equipment
- basic building tasks like laying patios, or putting up sheds and fences
You may need to wear protective clothing.
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.
With experience, you could become a senior or head gardener.
You could move into other work like landscaping, greenkeeping or the care of trees and shrubs (arboriculture).
You could also set up your own business, offering a service to private customers.
You can find out more about becoming a gardener from Grow Careers and Horticulture Week.
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