Horticulture (Professional Gardening) Level 2 (FAGR)

Plants are incredibly important. Not only do they provide us with oxygen and a source of food, but their beauty, smell and aesthetic vigour can provide the public with a welcoming multi-sensory experience! Public gardens and parks punctuate the fabric of the UK’s drab urban environments and provide an amazing break from the hustle and bustle of modern life!

Gardening and horticulture is not just a relaxing pastime for people looking to escape their busy lives. In fact, if you’ve got a passion for plants and you’re fascinated by flowers, you can actually build a long and rewarding career in this area!

Horticultural careers are all about using your scientific knowledge of plants and soil to cultivate flowers, shrubs, fruits, vegetables, grass and other florae. This kind of plant husbandry is usually carried out in controlled environments for functional or commercial purposes.

Gardening careers usually focus on growing, cultivating, pruning and treating plants for aesthetic purposes. You are most likely going to be working outdoors on large estates that belong to wealthy landowners or gardens that are owned by publicly funded organisations, such as the National Trust.

Alternatively, you might be self-employed and offer services to private clients. Here, your gardening activities will most likely involve aspects of landscape and garden design.

Working with plants, from designing and building a new city park to developing new food crops, horticulture can be incredibly rewarding and there are a wealth of career options for you to choose from.

Based at our Wigfield Farm campus, you will gain practical experience within the land-based industry aswell as developing your skills and horticulture theory knowledge.

You will cover the following topics:

• Prepare ground for planting
• Plant container grown plants
• Care for a planted area
• Plant a container for display
• Apply fertiliser
• Prune deciduous spring flowers
• Propagate indoors
• Propagate by stem cuttings
• Construct a paved area
• Use a pedestrian controlled mower
• Design a contemporary style garden

You will be assessed by a series of assignments. There is no formal end examination.

• Four GCSEs at grade 3 or above including English or Level 1 in Horticulture.
• Acceptance onto the programme is also subject to an interview.

Employment: Landscaper, Grounds person, Garden centre assistant, Gardener

Education: You can progress onto an apprenticeship or into work