Landscape and garden design

Use your mix of creative skills and practical horticultural techniques to find work in areas ranging from public parks and gardens to landscape architecture and urban design

Job options

Jobs directly related to your degree include:

• Amenity horticulturist
• Commercial horticulturist
• Horticultural consultant
• Horticultural therapist
• Landscape architect

Jobs where your degree would be useful include:

• Environmental consultant
• Environmental education officer
• Field trials officer
• Interior and spatial designer
• Nature conservation officer
• Planning and development surveyor
• Plant breeder/geneticist
• Urban designer

Remember that many employers accept applications from graduates with any degree subject, so don't restrict your thinking to the jobs listed here.

Work experience

Universities often have links within the landscape and garden design industry and may be able to help you find a suitable placement opportunity. You may even be able to complete your placement abroad if you wish.

Look for student design competitions to enter, as these provide the opportunity for you to work on show gardens at high-profile events.

Completing some part-time paid or voluntary work can help you develop useful skills such as teamworking and effective communication. Try to find some relevant work experience, for example, working or volunteering for a commercial nursery, organic producer, garden centre, park, public or privately-owned garden, or a local community or charitable organisation.

Membership of organisations, such as the Society of Garden Designers (SGD) or the Landscape Institute, is also useful for building up a network of contacts who may be able to advise on work experience opportunities or setting up your own business.

Search for placements and find out more about work experience and internships.

Typical employers

You could work for:

• local authorities
• plant nurseries
• garden centres
• publicly and privately-owned gardens
• commercial landscaping companies
• private landscape architectural practices and consultancies
• government advisory and heritage agencies.

There are also opportunities with voluntary organisations, public sector bodies such as the Forestry Commission, and large engineering and construction firms.

Some graduates go on to set up their own gardening, landscape design or landscape architecture business. After developing your expertise and building a reputation, you may choose to be employed or self-employed as a consultant.

Find information on employers in environment and agriculture, property and construction and other job sectors.

Skills for your CV

As well as fostering and developing your creative design flair, you'll gain knowledge of plants, site analysis, surveying, garden design and the theories behind landscape architecture, garden history and conservation. You'll also be taught about business and management, so you have the skills to set up your own business.

You'll also acquire a range of skills that are useful in many job sectors. These include:

• practical knowledge of construction and project management
• digital and non-digital media skills, used to develop and express ideas
• skills in computer-aided design and graphic design
• problem-solving skills
• communication skills, through written, verbal and visual means to discuss theories, ideas, findings and solutions
• presentation skills, in particular presenting ideas and visions to clients
• self-management, with the ability to manage your time and to carry out personal reflection
• teamwork, being carried out to achieve a common goal
• attention to detail
• IT skills in data handling, research and presentation of solutions.

Further study

Some landscape and garden design graduates go on to study landscape architecture at postgraduate level, undertaking a postgraduate diploma or MA Landscape Architecture accredited by the Landscape Institute, the chartered body for the landscape profession in the UK.

Others choose to undertake further study in areas such as landscape management or garden and landscape design, and other more specialist courses, such as landscape ecology, land reclamation and restoration, and urban design. A business course could be useful if you intend to start your own company.

For more information on further study and to find a course that interests you, see Masters degrees and search postgraduate courses in landscape architecture.

What do landscape and garden design graduates do?

Half (56%) of landscape and garden design graduates are working as architects. CAD, drawing and architectural technicians (13%), chartered architectural technologists, planning officers, and consultants (7%) and vehicle technicians, mechanics and electricians (3%) are also among the top five jobs reported.

Find out what other graduates are doing after finishing their degrees in What do graduates do?

Graduate Outcomes survey data from HESA.

Find out more

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