How to Start a Gardening Business

Do you have a passion for plants and thrive being outdoors? Do you love getting your hands dirty and creating sustainable outdoor systems? If you’ve been dreaming of starting a landscape gardening business, we’ll share with you everything you need to know, from growing your skills to how to legally establish your business and what it takes to succeed.

What Is a Landscape Gardener?

A landscape gardener is someone who takes care of and manages outdoor spaces — including lawns, ornamental gardens, vegetable gardens, public areas, roadways, permaculture systems, and more. Having a gardening business can be very rewarding, allowing a flexible schedule and a good work/life balance. There is good money to be made and you will have job security since lawn care is an essential part of everyday life in the UK.

There’s more to garden care than just mowing lawns, so you are only limited by your imagination when choosing a gardening business. Here are a few options you could specialise in:

1. Lawn care and landscaping. This business would include taking care of people’s lawns and simple gardens, monthly mowing, hedge trimming, weeding, caring for ornamental flowers, pest control, pruning trees and bush care, and general tidying of yards. This is a basic service that everyone with a garden would need.
2. Landscape architect. This title requires more education and skills (seven years for accreditation in the UK) because you will be designing new outdoor spaces with your clients. You’ll need to understand the structure, design and engineering of differing landscapes, urban planning, site analysis, water management, construction specifications and more.
3. Permaculture design. Permaculture is a wonderful system of setting up land or a farm in a sustainable way, using fewer resources for maximum efficiency and outputs. If you want to specialise in permaculture design, you need to take some PDC courses to get the skills needed. You may even want to volunteer with a project for a time so you can get hands-on experience.

How to Get Started with a Gardening Business?

Before you jump into your new gardening business, you’ll want to take into consideration many factors that will determine whether you are successful or not. Below are the important points to consider to help you decide if a gardening business is right for you.

1. What skills do you need? There are no mandatory qualifications required to be a gardener. But if you are doing more than mowing lawns, it could be helpful to have some education and qualifications in horticulture. This will set you apart from the competition and allow you to take more specialised jobs.
2. Know the business. A gardening business can be challenging since the seasons and weather conditions determine whether you can work or not. While this is a year-round profession, consider that most of your business will be seasonal, with more available work in the spring and summer months and less in the winter.
3. Who is your client? You have the option to work with private clients, commercial businesses, or government contracts like in communal and public spaces. Or you can mix and match, but it’s easiest to start with private customers and work up from there. Each has pros and cons, so examine your target client carefully.
4. What are your start-up costs and expenses? There are some upfront costs to start a gardening business. You have to buy all the equipment you would need to do your job successfully and have a truck or trailer to carry that equipment to every client’s home or business. This equipment will need maintenance so always have a cushion for unexpected repairs. You will need liability insurance and most likely will need to hire people depending on the size of the jobs you take. And don’t forget marketing costs to get your business in front of your customers.
5. Do continuing education. If you want to grow in your business and increase your knowledge of different aspects of gardening, continue to take courses and learn from other experts in your field. The more certifications and qualifications you get, the more you can charge.

How to Create a Business Plan and USPs That Set You Apart

It’s a good idea to create a business plan if you are thinking of starting a business. Research your competition, see what is lacking in the industry, and figure out how you can set yourself apart. We have a dedicated post on unique selling points (USPs) and how important they are to your marketing plan. Is there something unique about you personally or the services you can offer to clients? Spend some time developing your USP and make that a cornerstone of your gardening business.

Other things to consider for your business plan are your business model and legal structure. You need to pinpoint your target customers, where you will offer your services, your start-up costs and budget plan, service offering and pricing, your recruitment strategy for hiring employees, rules and regulations — and a marketing plan that includes how to build your online presence.

Ready to Form Your Company?

Once the dream and business plan is created, it’s now time to form your company legally. This can be the hardest part of starting a business, but it’s crucial to your success. Using the services of Mint Formations to form your limited company or self-employed business can take away all the stress that comes from the legalities of starting a business. We’ll secure your business name and get your company registered fast so you can start doing what you love.

Are you ready to begin a gardening business? Our FREE roadmap to success can help you start.

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