Are you interested in becoming a gardener, but you are not sure where to start? If you want to become a gardener, you need to firstly understand whether you would like the job. Then you can look at getting certain suited qualifications. And finally find a job, even as a junior gardener or an apprentice to get you started!
Will You Like Being A Gardener
So before you start to look at how to become a gardener – let’s have a look at why you would want to. Of course, having a job and making money is important. But being a gardener is not your average office role. It takes certain types of people to be able to be a gardener and to be able to enjoy it.
Gardening can be a physically demanding, heavy job. So you need to really enjoy what you do for you to be able to stick with it, and be good at it.
Do you enjoy physical activity? Now it does not mean that you have to be at the gym all day and able to run a marathon. But it does mean that you should be physically able to be in your feet all day. Carrying heavy things around, lifting and digging too.
Besides the physical aspect, you really need to enjoy outside work. And that might sound lovely in warm summer months. But gardeners need to equally be ok with going out when it is cold, wet, and icy. Are you ok with being outdoors for up to 8, 10 hours in a row when it is raining? It might well be part of your day when you are a gardener!
So make sure you understand all that before you consider how to become a gardener.
Qualifications
A second step to look at on how to become a gardener is to look at training or qualifications you can take. It will depend per country, but in the UK you officially do not need to have formal gardening qualifications or diplomas to start doing gardening work.
It is, however, important that you at least look into it. And pretty crucial if you have no experience in gardening at all! You need to at least have a baseline of experience and skills – which training and qualifications can give you.
Have a look at a BTEC or NVQ in gardening or horticulture to get you started as this will provide that baseline of knowledge and skill. There are many different types of gardening training courses out there, so find out what works for you. This is also great opportunity to get more familiar in the industry, meet likeminded people and find out if the job as a gardener would indeed actually be right for you.
Finding A Job
Once you know you indeed want to pursue a career in gardening, you can start looking at jobs. If you have very little to no experience, make sure you have done at least a qualification as mentioned above. Another thing to look at is the possibility of a gardening apprenticeship.
Many gardeners start this was and it is a great way to get some experience and really learn the tools of the trade – quite literally! You will be working alongside another gardener, who will be more senior and more experienced than you.
It is an excellent way to finetune your gardening skills and apply the knowledge and theory you will have learned during your training or qualification. It means you will get paid for work you will be doing. Often you can even combine this with training or courses you are doing too and it will count towards completing these.
If you already have a little more experience, then make sure you register with all the suited agencies so that you are on their books. This means that whenever a suited gardening job will become available, they will contact you about it, and that way hopefully find your dream gardening job!
How Polo & Tweed Can Help
If you are looking for a role as a domestic household gardener, we can help! At Polo & Tweed, we work with clients all over the world who are looking for gardeners. From small households with parttime jobs, to large estate with fulltime live-in roles. Why not get in touch now and we can chat about what you are looking for!