Amenity Horticulture Level 2 (CVQ)

The purpose

The purpose is to plan, develop and manage diverse landscape (plants and soils) for sporting, aesthetic, leisure and commercial purposes in the most efficient and environmentally safe manner. This document focuses on Landscaping, Sports Turf and Nursery although Amenity Horticulture involves other activities such as Interior Landscaping and Cemeteries and
Graveyards.

Landscaping
The Landscape Industry is a diverse horticultural industry where there is a wide range of landscape operations across the sector with a key division between those who focus on hardscape construction, which is often linked to the construction industry, and soft-scape development with a more eclectic approach to plant use and landscape development.
The work undertaken by those employed in the Landscape sector can comprise the following:

• construction and maintenance of domestic and commercial landscapes,
• design of gardens and commercial landscapes,
• rehabilitation and maintenance of urban bushland,
• construction and installation of amenity and recreational landscape structures,
• provision of technical advice and forward estimates on landscape development proposals.

Nursery
The Nursery Industry is a specialist horticultural industry where there is a wise diversity of enterprises that comprise the Nursery sector with the major distinction being between production, wholesale and retail nurseries. Some nurseries are involved in two or three sectors.

The work undertaken by those employed in the nursery sector can comprise the following:

• propagation, production and maintenance of plants for sales and/or hire,
• wholesaling and retailing of plants and associated products,
• provision of advice on plant selection and garden design,
• marketing and promotion of plant products and services.

Turf
The Turf Industry is a horticultural industry that comprises the growth, care and management of turf.
The work undertaken by those employed in the Turf Industry can comprise the following:

• establishing and maintenance of commercial and recreational turf,
• design and preparation of sports turf playing surfaces,
• domestic mowing and turf maintenance operations,
• management of recreational and sport turf facilities,
• provision of technical advice on turf irrigation, pest and disease control and turf management practices.

Turf management work is associated with golf courses, wicket and pitch preparation, racing
clubs, institutional and recreational playing fields and mowing contractors.

Who is this qualification for?

This qualification is for a skilled individual working in amenity horticulture activities for example:

• Landscaper
• Groundsman
• Nursery assistant
• Gardener
• Golf course employee
• Greenhouse employee
• Sports Turf employee
• Recreational area employee
• Certain Categories of farm employees
• Plant Shop employee

This list is not exhaustive and only serves to illustrate the breadth of the qualification.

How it is structured?

The candidate must achieve three (3) mandatory units plus five (5) optional units. If all five optional units are chosen from the same option group (e.g. A), the certificate will display the occupational route chosen (e.g. Amenity Horticulture (Nursery)’). If optional units are chosen from a variety of option groups, the certificate will display ‘Amenity Horticulture’

What does it covers?

The mandatory units cover:

• Health and Safety
• Developing and improving personal performance
• Maintaining effective working relationships
• Establishing effective relationships with customers
• Positively promoting yourself and your organisation

The optional units cover:

• Transporting Supplies
• Maintaining grass surfaces
• Maintaining Structures and Surfaces
• Equipment Maintenance
• Propagation of Plants from Seed and Vegetative Methods
• Identifying and Controlling pests and diseases
• Preparation of growing media
• Installing and Maintaining Drainage Systems
• Preparing and Operating a tractor with attachments
• Maintaining plants outdoors
• Operating Specialised Plant Machinery