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How to Start a Career In
Gardening & Landscaping

For those who love spending hours in the garden, and get great satisfaction from planting, pruning, and taking care of flowers and houseplants, a career in gardening or landscaping might be an ideal way to turn a gardening hobby in to something more substantial.

Gardening and landscaping are both particularly good industries for hobbyists to consider, since there are typically little or no requirements for entry level jobs, and most newcomers learn rapidly on the job.

In addition to a "green thumb", the skills required typically include a good knowledge of plants, trees, popular flowering plants and vegetable crops; a basic understanding of gardening and landscaping tools; as well as the physical dexterity to perform the job well.

The gardening industry offers a range of opportunities for growing a career. There are groundskeepers, landscapers, landscape architects, arborists, horticulturists, and greens keepers, just to name a few. Many in these industries are employed by companies, but a strong number are also small business owners who have gone on to open their own home garden centers, florist shops or landscaping service companies.

Along with gaining experience, a degree can also be useful, especially for more specialized jobs like arborist or landscape architect.

The average wage for most landscaping and gardening jobs ranges from about $10 an hour for entry level jobs, on up to $18 an hour for more senior positions.

Overall, those who find success in these positions report job satisfaction that is the envy of most industries.

And there's more good news for those planning a career in gardening or landscaping: projected growth is expected to be almost double the national average in the coming years, as the trend for going green becomes more popular among families and local communities worldwide.

More about careers in gardening & landscaping around the Web:

Horticulture and Landscape Design Career Guide - Comprehensive collection of Web resources offering information on careers in horticulture, landscaping, landscape architecture, florist, nursery and greenhouse operators.

How to Start and Run a Landscape & Garden Maintenance Business - Practical step-by-step guide to starting up, required tools and equipment, marketing ideas and suggested reading.

How to Get a Job at a Nursery or Garden Center - eHow guide with helpful strategies and tips on finding a local area job, with advice ranging from first contact to landing a personal interview.

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