Landscape or Horticulture Supervisor

On a landscape or horticulture supervisor apprenticeship course, you’ll help plan and maintain extensive gardens, parks, and other green spaces.

A horticulture and landscape supervisor oversees public parks, green spaces, historic gardens, private gardens and estates, and production nurseries and retail stores.

Similar to the operative apprenticeship, you will specialise in soft-landscape or hard-landscape.

The horticultural supervisor apprenticeship focuses on horticulture, specifically plant propagation and development.

The installation of features and buildings, the use of landscape materials, and site management support are all aspects of landscape construction.

What You’ll Do

• Ensuring Safety and Welfare: Make sure everyone stays safe during gardening tasks, including having the right paperwork, planning on-site safety, and ensuring good communication.
• Protecting the Environment and Heritage: Look after the natural surroundings and historical aspects of the site where gardening work is being done.
• Taking Care of Plants: Planting, looking after, and maintaining plants in different areas.
• Managing Soil Health: Keeping the soil in good condition for plants to grow well and preventing damage from activities like walking or using equipment.
• Planning and Managing Projects: Creating plans to complete gardening projects well, on time, and to a high standard.
• Biosecurity and Invasive Species: Ensure the site is protected from harmful pests and plants that could damage the environment.
• Project Oversight: Managing gardening projects, including organising resources, money, and people, while protecting the environment and keeping records using technology.
• Customer Service: Taking care of the needs of everyone involved in the gardening work.
• Supervising Teams: Leading and managing a group of workers or volunteers doing gardening or landscaping tasks.
• Personal Development: Taking responsibility for improving one’s skills and performance.
• Handling Tools and Equipment: Knowing how to use and look after the tools and machinery used in gardening.
• Structural Maintenance: Planning and carrying out repairs and upkeep for garden structures like fences or trellises to keep them safe and looking good.
• Soft Landscape Maintenance: Planning and doing upkeep work for features like lawns and flower beds.
• Plant Propagation: Growing new plants from seeds or cuttings and choosing the right soil for them.
• Landscaping Planning and Installation: Designing and putting in place features like paths or ponds, making sure everything needed is available, and meeting the requirements of the project.
• Site Surveys: Checking out areas where landscaping work will be done to understand what needs to be done.

What You’ll Learn

• Benefits of Ornamental Gardening: How gardening helps people and the environment.
• Environmental Regulations: Rules about handling waste and recycling.
• Sustainability: Ways to help the environment and meet carbon reduction goals.
• Biodiversity Protection: How to protect and improve wildlife and heritage in gardens.
• Different Types of Gardens: How gardening changes depending on who owns the space and what it’s used for.
• Plant Science: Understanding how plants grow and what they need to be healthy.
• Factors Affecting Plant Growth: How things like light, water, and nutrients impact plants.
• Biosecurity: Keeping gardens safe from harmful organisms, especially when bringing in new plants.
• Invasive Species Control: Dealing with plants that harm the environment and following regulations.
• Plant Naming: Understanding the scientific names of plants.
• Planting Techniques: How to plant different types of plants in different environments.
• Plant Care: Importance of storing, transporting, and caring for plants properly.
• Maintaining Structures: Keeping paths, walls, and other garden structures in good condition.
• Soil Management: Understanding and managing different types of soil.
• Tree Inspection: Knowing when trees need professional inspection for safety.
• Turf Types: Different types of grass and how they’re managed.
• Turf Installation: How to plan and lay down grass or meadows.
• Vegetation Control: Dealing with unwanted plants in different situations.
• Project Management: Basics of managing gardening projects.
• Budgeting: How to manage expenses in gardening projects.
• Digital Tools: Using technology to help with gardening tasks.
• Work Plans: Planning out tasks and resources for gardening projects.
• Communication: How to communicate effectively in gardening projects.
• Customer Care: Importance of good customer service in gardening.
• Safety Regulations: Following rules to keep safe in gardening work.
• Supervision: Leading a gardening team effectively.
• Equipment Maintenance: Keeping gardening tools and machines in good condition.
• Structural Maintenance: Repairing and maintaining garden structures.
• Tree Protection Laws: Understanding laws that protect trees and their impact on gardening work.
• Plant Identification: How to identify different plants accurately.
• Water Features: Maintaining ponds and other water features in gardens.
• Irrigation Systems: Different ways to water plants efficiently.
• Pest Management: Dealing with plant pests without harming the environment.
• Plant Propagation: Ways to grow new plants from seeds or cuttings.
• Maintenance Schedules: Planning out regular garden maintenance.
• Turf Management: How to care for lawns and meadows.
• Pruning Techniques: Trimming and training plants properly.
• Landscape Construction: Building features like paths and ponds in gardens.
• Service Installation: Putting in things like lighting and irrigation systems.
• Site Measurement: Measuring and planning garden layouts accurately.
• Project Estimation: Calculating resources needed for gardening projects.
• Site Surveying: Assessing garden sites and avoiding underground services.

Entry requirements

You’ll usually need:

• GCSEs or equivalent qualifications or relevant experience for an advanced apprenticeship

Assessment methods

The End Point Assessment comprises three sections: 

• Practical assessment with questioning
• Project report and presentation with questioning
• Professional discussion underpinned by a portfolio

Duration, level, subjects and potential salary upon completion

Apprenticeship standard

More information about the Level 3 Horticulture or Landscape Supervisor Apprenticeship standard can be found here.

Apprenticeship end point assessment

For more information about the End Point Assessment Process, please read the Institute of Apprenticeships’ information page.