Landscaper

What is a Landscaper?

Duties

As a landscaper, you must handle the following responsibilities:

• Utilize and maintain a wide range of small equipment or machinery like rotary mowers, pruning saws, electric clippers, blowers, hedge trimmers and pressure washers to preserve the appearance of assigned grounds.
• Cultivate and take care of various bushes, trees and plants through regular activities like pruning, fertilizing, mulching, watering and transplanting vegetation as needed.
• Prepare and compile appropriate documentation such as work reports, work requests, reports of financial transactions related to supplies or materials utilized, chemical and water use logs.
• Store and update the inventory of tools, supplies or materials and equipment issued by the company to make certain they are available and in good condition when required for a task; this includes letting the lead landscaper know in case servicing needs to take place.
• Maintain a clean and professional look with regard to uniforms, nametags, and your own personal appearance in line with company protocols.

Day In The Life

If you are interested in becoming a landscaper, much of the day will be spent working outdoors completing assigned tasks related to landscapes. Whether you are working on private property or state parks, the day to day work will require superior physical stamina since the role involves weeding, planting, changing the terrain, developing irrigation systems, installing new construction like water features as well as other routine maintenance.

The type of work requires utilizing various tools as well as equipment like leaf blowers, shovels, chainsaws and tow trucks to bring down trees, remove harmful plant growth and lay new turf when required. Once in a while, you will get the opportunity to collaborate with other professionals such as landscape architects or designers to further develop or renovate features on the property, by performing the majority of manual work on their inputs.

Work Schedule

Landscapers generally work around 40 hours every week, with the occasional overtime through the weekend. Typically, you will be likely to keep busier in the warmer months due to the seasonal nature of the work. Most of the work is undertaken outdoors in all kinds of weather conditions, which can be challenging and require you to wear protective gear such as overalls and eyewear. Since multiple project sites require you to travel between places, having a driving license is particularly helpful.

Growth Of The Job

Job prospects in this industry are strong. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) projects an increase in the employment rate for landscape related work at 5% between 2014-2024. If you are a part of a large company, a gardener position is eventually promoted to a more supervisory role such as manager or master gardener. Many even start out with independent work on a contractual basis, once they have enough experience.

People will always require assistance from professionals like landscapers when it comes to taking care of their lawns, keeping their driveways clean and maintaining public spaces like sidewalks. In addition, commercial properties will continue to expand their need for green spaces to offset concrete building structures to maintain environmental sustainability and add curb appeal.

Typical Employers

Landscapers can find work with properties that have existing grounds, e.g. resort landscapes, university and corporate campus grounds, athletic fields, private residences, state parks, cemeteries, heritage areas, golf courses, boating lakes and amusement parks such as Disney World.