Gardener and landscaper

Gardeners grow plants, create gardens, parks and green spaces and look after them all year round. If you like being outdoors and want to see what your work achieves, you will feel at home here.

Typical tasks

  • sowing, repotting and caring for plants
  • laying out gardens and green spaces according to a plan
  • mowing lawns and cutting hedges and trees
  • building paths, walls or ponds in gardens
  • advising customers on choosing plants

Where people work

Gardeners work in nurseries, tree nurseries, landscaping companies, municipal gardens and parks, or garden centres.

A good fit if

  • you like being outdoors, even in cold or heat
  • you are interested in plants and nature
  • you are good with your hands
  • you have stamina, because many things grow slowly

Education pathways in Austria

In Austria the usual path is a Lehre (apprenticeship), for example in garden and green space design or in horticulture. With the Matura (school-leaving exam), the path leads through an HBLA (higher college of agriculture and forestry) specialising in horticulture. In Germany the equivalent is the Duale Ausbildung or the Fachoberschule Agrarwirtschaft, in Switzerland the Berufslehre (EFZ) or the Berufslehre Landwirtschaft (EFZ).

Lehre
Training in a company and at vocational school. With 'Lehre mit Matura' it can also lead to university entrance. 2 to 4 years
HBLA
Matura focused on agriculture, environment or food. 5 years

Matching schools in Austria

A selection from our school list. Not every school of this type offers every specialisation, so ask the school directly.

  • HBLA Pitzelstätten
    HBLA, 9061 Klagenfurt, Kärnten
    Collected automaticallySource: initial collection from public information, as of Oktober 2026
  • HBLFA Francisco Josephinum
    HBLA, 3250 Wieselburg, Niederösterreich
    Collected automaticallySource: initial collection from public information, as of Oktober 2026
  • HBLA Ursprung
    HBLA, 5161 Elixhausen, Salzburg
    Collected automaticallySource: initial collection from public information, as of Oktober 2026
  • HBLFA Raumberg-Gumpenstein
    HBLA, 8952 Irdning, Steiermark
    Collected automaticallySource: initial collection from public information, as of Oktober 2026

Frequently asked questions

What do I do in winter?

There is less planting in winter. Instead there is pruning, planning, machine maintenance and work in the greenhouse.

Do I need good grades?

For an apprenticeship, interest, reliability and practical skill often count for more than grades.

Can I become self-employed later?

Yes. With experience and the required exams you can set up your own business.

Similar careers

  • Forestry

    In forestry, foresters and forestry workers look after the forest, plant climate-resilient trees and provide wood as a raw material.

  • Environmental technician

    Environmental technicians plan and run systems that clean water, recycle waste or keep the air clean.

  • Sustainability management

    Sustainability managers help companies save energy, materials and emissions and report on it.

  • Renewable energy technician

    Renewable energy technicians install and service solar panels, heat pumps and batteries.

Which careers suit you?

Find careers that suit you