In my 25 years of coaching UK jobseekers and professionals from all walks of life, I’ve always admired the role of a gardener. It is a position that demands skill, patience, craftsmanship, and a deep respect for the natural world. A gardener is responsible for the planting, cultivation, maintenance, and overall care of outdoor spaces—from private estates and residential gardens to public parks, commercial grounds and horticultural settings. The role often involves pruning, landscaping, soil preparation, garden planning, pest control, machinery use, and ensuring green spaces thrive throughout changing seasons. In the UK, an entry-level gardener may begin at around £19,000 to £22,000 per year, while experienced gardeners, landscape gardeners, groundskeepers, and senior horticultural specialists can earn between £25,000 and £35,000, with head gardeners or estate gardeners exceeding £40,000 depending on the employer. With the increasing societal focus on climate, biodiversity and sustainable outdoor living, gardening roles have become even more vital—both environmentally and economically.
Creating a Gardener CV that truly stands out is essential in a competitive market where employers are increasingly seeking professionals who combine practical skills with creativity, efficiency, and knowledge of horticultural best practice. Whether you are aiming for your first gardening role, stepping up into a more senior position, or transitioning from general outdoor work into more specialist horticulture, your Gardener CV needs to express your expertise clearly, confidently and concisely. In this guide, I will walk you through exactly how to do that, with proven CV structure advice, keyword-rich examples, and tailored guidance for graduates, those at mid-career level, and seasoned senior garden professionals. You’ll also find a full Gardener CV template example you can adapt immediately.
Understanding the true purpose of a CV as a tool that markets your value is the first step. Gardening might be hands-on and outdoors, but your CV should demonstrate the strategy, planning, problem-solving, and innovation behind your work. Employers want evidence of your ability to maintain healthy plant life, design uplifting outdoor spaces, follow health and safety standards, operate horticultural machinery, and manage time and workload efficiently. You are not simply listing responsibilities; you are showcasing results—healthier gardens, reduced waste, improved plant lifespan, rejuvenated landscapes, or increased visitor satisfaction. These achievements help your application rank more powerfully, especially when aligned with the key SEO-friendly terms that employers search for, such as horticulture, landscape maintenance, soil management, groundskeeping, planting schemes, irrigation systems, garden design and sustainability.
What hiring managers look for in a Gardener CV
In the gardening profession, employers and recruiters seek particular strengths that help distinguish the most capable candidates. Practical knowledge of plants, trees, shrubs and seasonal care is essential, as is competence in the safe use of gardening tools, lawnmowers, hedge trimmers, strimmers, saws, and irrigation systems. They also look for reliability, physical resilience, attention to detail, environmental awareness and the ability to work both independently and as part of a grounds maintenance team. A strong Gardener CV will highlight experience with soft landscaping, lawn care, pruning, composting, pest and disease identification, and general garden upkeep.
Additionally, more employers today look for gardeners who understand modern landscaping concepts and sustainable practices such as habitat creation, water-efficient planting, organic gardening and eco-friendly waste management. If you have qualifications from the RHS (Royal Horticultural Society), City & Guilds Land Based Services (NPTC), Lantra Awards or similar, include these prominently—they significantly increase your CV’s authority and employability.
Gardener CV template example
Below is a highly effective sample Gardener CV template example written to help you model your own. Feel free to adapt it directly, making sure to insert your own achievements and experience.
Name Surname
Location: City, UK
Phone: 07…
Email: example@email.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/yourprofile
Portfolio (optional): link to garden photos or landscaping portfolio
Personal profile
I am a dedicated and experienced gardener with a strong background in horticulture, landscape maintenance and garden enhancement. Over the years, I have developed specialist knowledge in planting schemes, lawn care, pruning, soil cultivation, pest management and seasonal garden upkeep. I take pride in creating outdoor environments that are healthy, vibrant and visually appealing. I enjoy working collaboratively on grounds maintenance teams and am equally confident working independently to manage daily tasks, deliver projects on time and maintain high standards. I thrive in roles where I can contribute creativity, reliability and hands-on expertise in both private and commercial garden settings.
Key skills
Garden maintenance and landscaping
Planting schemes and seasonal planning
Lawn care, mowing and edging
Pruning, weeding and soil cultivation
Pest and disease identification
Use of horticultural tools and machinery
Irrigation systems and watering schedules
Composting and organic gardening
Health and safety awareness
Groundskeeping and estate maintenance
Customer service and client liaison
Sustainable gardening practices
Professional experience
Gardener
Greenleaf Gardens, London
2021–Present
Responsible for the maintenance and improvement of client gardens across residential and commercial sites. Conduct lawn mowing, hedge trimming, pruning, planting, mulching and seasonal tasks to a high standard. Collaborate with the landscaping team on redesign projects. Help reduce plant waste by implementing improved watering and soil management techniques. Support eco-friendly initiatives and help plan biodiversity-enhancing planting schemes.
Assistant Gardener
City Parks & Grounds, Kent
2018–2021
Assisted with groundskeeping duties across public parks, flowerbeds, play areas and community green spaces. Supported the planting and maintenance of seasonal flower displays. Operated machinery safely and efficiently. Ensured high-quality standards of tidiness, safety and appearance. Worked collaboratively across the grounds team to deliver smooth park operations throughout the year.
Certifications & qualifications
RHS Level 2 Certificate in Practical Horticulture
City & Guilds NPTC Level 2 Award in the Safe Use of Brush-Cutters and Trimmers
Lantra Awards Chainsaw Maintenance and Cross-cutting (if applicable)
Full UK driving licence
Education
College Diploma in Horticulture, 2018
Any relevant school achievements
Hobbies and interests
Allotment growing, botanical studies, nature conservation, habitat creation, outdoor volunteering, environmental sustainability.
References
Available on request.
Why this CV works
This Gardener CV template example is structured to highlight exactly what employers need—proof of hands-on experience, broad horticultural skill, safety awareness and the ability to maintain outdoor spaces to a high visual standard. It reads clearly, includes key industry terms to help with ranking and applicant tracking systems, and focuses on professional achievements rather than simply listing duties.
How to structure your Gardener CV effectively
Your CV should follow a well-organised, easy-to-read layout that employers can quickly scan. I recommend the following core structure:
Ensure your format is clean, consistent and professional. Avoid decorative fonts or graphics. A simple layout communicates reliability and clarity—which are qualities that matter in the gardening profession.
Advice for graduates and early-career gardeners
If you are just starting out, please don’t worry about not having years of experience. Every gardener begins with curiosity, willingness and a growing passion for the environment. Focus your CV on:
Any horticulture courses, workshops or short courses you’ve taken
Volunteer gardening work, community projects or experience helping maintain school or family gardens
Transferable skills such as teamwork, physical fitness, responsibility, customer service or time management
Your enthusiasm for learning modern horticulture techniques, sustainability and biodiversity
Employers appreciate proactive learners, especially in gardening roles where new techniques and seasonal demands constantly evolve. A portfolio of your gardening or landscaping projects—even simple photos—can make a significant difference.
Advice for mid-career gardeners
If you’ve been in the industry for several years, you may be looking to progress into more specialised or senior roles. Ensure your CV reflects:
Advanced horticultural knowledge
Experience overseeing small projects or leading a team
Examples of problem-solving, such as diagnosing plant health issues
Achievements like improving garden layout, enhancing seasonal displays or boosting visitor satisfaction
Experience managing irrigation systems, machinery or estate-scale grounds
This is also the stage where adding professional training or gaining RHS-level qualifications can help you stand out for more competitive roles.
Advice for senior gardeners and head gardeners
If you operate at management or supervisory level, employers will expect leadership, strategic thinking and garden planning skills. Strengthen your CV by including:
Experience managing a team of gardeners or groundskeepers
Responsibility for whole-garden planning, planting schemes and annual maintenance schedules
Budget management or resource allocation
Stakeholder or client engagement
Sustainability planning or biodiversity improvement projects
Record-keeping and reporting on estate or garden performance
At this level, your CV should clearly demonstrate authority, vision and the ability to lead the maintenance of complex landscapes.
General tips for writing a strong Gardener CV
Here are some tried-and-tested pieces of guidance from my years of coaching candidates through successful applications.
Keep your CV to two pages
Longer documents risk losing the reader’s interest. Use concise bullet points and avoid lengthy paragraphs.
Focus on achievements, not tasks
Rather than saying mowed lawns daily, try something like improved lawn condition across five residential gardens through tailored mowing and fertilising schedules.
Include keywords naturally
Terms like horticulture, landscaping, planting, soft landscaping, grounds maintenance, pest control, irrigation and sustainability all help with ranking.
Format consistently
Use matching bullet points, spacing and font size throughout.
Tailor your CV to the job description
Each role will emphasise different skills—highlight the ones that match your background.
Show your passion for nature
Gardening is both a profession and a craft. Employers value genuine enthusiasm.
The do’s and don’ts on a Gardener CV
Do
Keep your writing clear, positive and professional
Show outcomes from your gardening work
List relevant horticultural courses and certifications
Mention machinery and tools you can safely operate
Tailor your CV to each employer’s environment
Use active verbs: maintained, pruned, cultivated, installed, restored
Don’t
Include unrelated personal details
Use casual language or humour
Overload your CV with photos or graphics
List every task you’ve ever done—focus on the most relevant
Forget to proofread for spelling or grammar errors
Submit the same CV to every employer
Ending thoughts and next steps
A well-crafted Gardener CV can transform your job search. It showcases your passion for horticulture, your dedication to the natural world and your ability to create spaces that uplift communities and clients. Whether you are maintaining serene private gardens, designing landscapes or keeping public parks thriving, your CV should reflect the enthusiasm and expertise you bring to every outdoor environment.
If you would like personalised help strengthening your Gardener CV, elevating your LinkedIn profile or preparing for interviews, I would be delighted to support you. With over 25 years of UK career coaching experience, I specialise in helping candidates like you stand out confidently and authentically.
Book an appointment today and let’s create a CV and LinkedIn presence that opens doors to the horticulture career you truly deserve:
https://www.cvlondon.net/book-an-appointment/
