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Apprentice Gardener Opportunity at Litchfield & Fox Garden Design
Litchfield & Fox Garden Design has a fantastic opportunity for a hardworking and enthusiastic Apprentice Gardener to join their growing team. If you have a genuine passion for horticulture, want to learn from experienced horticulturists while gaining a Level 2 Horticulture Operative Apprenticeship, they would love to hear from you.
What you will gain:
- Working alongside their experienced horticulturists, you will receive practical, hands-on training in all aspects of professional garden maintenance and soft landscaping while studying towards your Level 2 Horticulture Operative Apprenticeship
- Gain valuable experience maintaining some of the most prestigious private gardens, estates, and commercial landscapes across West Sussex
Key Responsibilities:
- Lawn mowing and lawn care
- Planting trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants
- Weeding and mulching
- Hedge cutting and pruning
- Soil cultivation and preparation
- Watering and irrigation
- Plant identification and aftercare
- Safe use of horticultural machinery and hand tools
- Assisting with soft landscaping projects
- Delivering high standards of workmanship and customer service
- Working safely as part of a professional team
Who you will be:
- Someone who has a passion for horticulture and outdoor work looking to build a career in the industry
- Someone who is not afraid of hard work or working in all weather conditions
- Someone who is physically fit and capable of fulfilling this demanding role which involves a lot of manual work
- Own transport will be essential so someone with a reliable way to get to work each day where public transport is limited
- Someone willing to learn and demonstrates a positive attitude and strong work ethic
Apprenticeships Details:
- Training provider: CHICHESTER COLLEGE GROUP
- Training course: Horticulture or landscape construction operative (level 2)
What you'll learn:
Course Contents
Core:
- Apply health and safety processes and procedures including risk assessments and or construction design management (CDM), manual handling, legislative requirements, and organisational policies.
- Follow safe systems of work and safety information in line with employer requirements or site context.
- Apply environmental mitigation measures including storage and disposal of waste, for example sorting materials for recycling or composting, acting in compliance with legal requirements, organisational policies, and pollution controls.
- Select, undertake a pre-start check, set up, clean, store, and safely operate tools, equipment, and machinery in line with current legislation and business policies.
- Communicate with technical and non-technical audiences using language appropriate to the audience.
- Identify plants commonly grown in the UK by scientific names including genus, species, and or cultivar.
- Maintain the correct phytosanitary and bio-security procedures for the site, in accordance with legal requirements.
- Identify and report symptoms and or signs of commonly found UK plant pests, pathogens, and disorders.
- Maintain plant health for example providing for basic needs such as water, nutrition (either organic or inorganic), light.
- Cultivate, improve, and preserve soils by mechanical methods and or by hand including amelioration and mulching.
- Clear unwanted vegetation, selecting techniques to be used (for example weeding).
- Remove unwanted or damaged growth from plants using a pruning cut.
- Plant shrubs and a tree using a simple tree pit.
- Install turf for situation.
- Mow turf using pedestrian controlled powered driven mower.
- Maintain or protect hard surfaces, features, or structures for example painting, re-gravelling, removing weeds from paving, drain clearance, cleaning.
- Use digital tools and techniques for research, collaboration, continuous professional development, and resolution of problems.
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Landscape Construction:
- Measure and set out an uncomplicated site in preparation for landscape construction activities.
- Use freehand cutting and or bench cutting of hard landscape materials using abrasive wheels.
- Repair constructed landscape features (simple and non-complex) for example re-grouting, re-sanding, damaged fencing.
- Construct paved feature for example path, patio, or shed base. Including setting levels, sub-bases, laying bases, finishing.
- Construct vertical landscape features including fences, ornamental vertical features, and walls.
- Install drainage in landscaping.
- Construct horizontal landscape features (excluding paving).
Horticulture:
- Propagate plants by cuttings and seed sowing (this might be indoors or outdoors). Including selection of suitable growing media and or soil.
- Provide aftercare to recently installed turf and maintain established turf or species-rich meadows including irrigation, maintenance, monitoring health, and protection from use.
- Identify if plants are suitable to site, purpose, and aesthetics.
- Maintain soft landscapes for example - staking or support, division, seasonal clearance, and re-planting.
- Monitor and control plant pests, pathogens, and disorders using basic control methods (including application of chemicals or organic equivalents).
- Plant herbaceous and seasonal planting (for example bedding, herbs, or bulbs).
- Prune plants to achieve healthy growth and form (including natural habit and formal or trained form).
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Desirable Qualifications:
- GCSE in:
- English (grade 4)
- Math (grade 4)
Share if you have other relevant qualifications and industry experience. The apprenticeship can be adjusted to reflect what you already know.
What you need to know:
- Due to the rural location of their office and limited public transport, applicants must have a reliable way of travelling to and from work each day.
- This is a physically demanding role involving manual work and working outdoors in all weather conditions.
- Company uniform and personal protective equipment (PPE) will be provided.
- A genuine interest in horticulture and a willingness to learn are essential.
- This is a 24-month apprenticeship plus a 4-month assessment period with learning starting in October 2026.
- Applicants need to be resident in the UK for a minimum of 3 years prior to the start of learning and have work authorisation for the UK.
- Applicants will not be eligible to apply if they have already achieved a qualification which is equal to or higher than the apprenticeship standard on offer.
- Applicants should ideally be resident in the area local to the apprenticeship opportunity or be a sensible commuter distance to the Walberton address and the College campus.
- Applicants will be expected to commit to the learning and stay to the end of the apprenticeship.
- Study will be work-based although some attendance will be required at Brinsbury College.
With over 18 years of established experience within the Landscaping and Grounds Maintenance industry, Litchfield and Fox pride themselves on delivering the highest standard of garden maintenance and have assisted many clients from large commercial enterprises and chains to private country homes and estates. Dedicated to delivering every project with unmatched integrity, passion, and complete client satisfaction, they take the time to understand clients' vision, provide expert guidance at every stage, and ensure that every detail is executed to the highest standard. Their commitment is to create outdoor spaces that not only meet but exceed client expectations, reflecting both style and knowledge.
Your earnings can increase over time with an apprenticeship. Find out about potential future pay.
Successful completion of the apprenticeship could lead to a permanent full-time position with opportunities for ongoing training and career progression within Litchfield & Fox Gardens.
The contact for this apprenticeship is: CHICHESTER COLLEGE GROUP
The reference code for this apprenticeship is VAC2000046612.
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