Landscape maintenance is an essential aspect of the horticultural sector that involves taking care of outdoor spaces, including gardens, parks, and green spaces. Landscape maintenance professionals, commonly referred to as gardeners or landscape gardeners, are in charge of maintaining the aesthetic appeal and functionality of these outdoor spaces.
What Do They Do?
Landscape maintenance professionals perform a range of tasks that ensure the health, beauty, and functionality of outdoor spaces. Some of the key responsibilities of landscape maintenance professionals include:
- Maintaining lawns and turf using a variety of equipment and machinery
- Pruning and trimming shrubs and trees
- Planting and maintaining garden beds
- Applying fertilisers and pesticides
- Designing and installing garden features
- Maintaining garden equipment and tools
Not a bad gig. Image source
Types of Landscape Maintenance Jobs
There are different types of landscape maintenance work environments in Australia, including:
- Domestic garden maintenance: Involves taking care of residential gardens, ensuring they are well-maintained and aesthetically pleasing.
- Commercial garden maintenance: Involves taking care of large commercial outdoor spaces such as parks, office buildings, and shopping centers.
- Council parks and gardens: Involves taking care of public spaces, such as parks and public spaces.
Pay expectations
The average hourly pay for a Landscape Gardener in Australia is $25.61 per hour, according to [1]. Whereas the average hourly pay for a gardener in Australia is $31.01 according to [2]. However, we’re in a staff shortage so you may be able to negotiate a higher wage.
Pros
- The opportunity to work outdoors and enjoy the beauty of nature
- Physical activity and manual labour that keeps you fit and healthy
- The chance to work independently and keep outdoor spaces looking beautiful
- A range of job opportunities in different sectors
- Career progression in larger companies
Cons
- The nature of the work can be physically demanding and involves heavy lifting
- Exposure to various weather conditions
- The possibility of injury from handling garden equipment using dangerous machinery
Qualifications and Training
To become a landscape maintenance professional, it is important to have a passion for the outdoors and an interest in horticulture. There are various available in Australia that provide formal education in landscape maintenance and horticulture. However, hands-on experience and on-the-job training is often enough to get a job.
This sector is a particularly good area for aspiring horticulturists without experience to get a foot in the door of the industry.
Find Your Dream Landscape Maintenance Job Today!
Discover opportunities in the field of landscape maintenance by exploring job listings on the Australian horticulture job portal, Hort People. Your dream job could be waiting for you.
With a range of job opportunities in different sectors and the chance to work in beautiful outdoor spaces, landscape maintenance is a rewarding career choice for those with a passion for horticulture. If you’re interested in starting a career as a garden maintenance pro, don’t wait, upload your resume to Hort People today to start the process.