Landscape maintenance is a rewarding career that allows you to work outdoors, be creative, and make a positive impact on people’s lives. In Queensland, the warm and humid climate offers a variety of opportunities for landscapers to showcase their skills.
Join us on a journey through the seasons, exploring a year in the life of a Queensland landscaper and the work they do to create beautiful outdoor spaces.
Spring:
Spring is the start of the landscaping season in Queensland. Mild weather (14-24°C) and longer days (5.45 am-5.45 pm) make it the ideal time to plan and prepare for upcoming projects.
Landscapers begin by assessing the condition of the outdoor spaces, such as gardens, lawns, and car parks. The difference between the work required in a ‘wet’ spring versus a ‘dry’ Spring are very different. A great landscaper will always assess the conditions and respond accordingly.
During the Spring, we complete most of our fertilising. Many plant species that are either dormant or have slower growth rates during Winter respond to the increasing warmth in Spring with a burst of growth, including flowering. Providing some additional nutrients to the soil with fertiliser helps promote this new growth and make the plants look vibrant.
As temperatures rise and growth rates increase, we need to dedicate more time to our ‘core’ tasks. These include mowing, snipping, hedging, pruning and weeding.
Spring is also the perfect time of year to consider laying new turf and/or installing new garden beds. These enhancements significantly contribute to the property’s amenity and value. Spring offers the perfect timing for a landscaper to undertake such projects.
Summer:
Summer is the busiest time of the year for landscapers in Queensland. The weather is hot and humid (22-29°C), and it is important to stay hydrated and take regular breaks. Many landscapers commence work at 6 am or even earlier, aiming to conclude tasks before the hottest part of the day.
Summer is when most plants growth rates are highest—particularly if there has been a lot of rain or storms—and so we prioritise staying on top of our core tasks at this time of year. The main tasks during this time include:
- Maintaining and watering the plants and lawns
- Trimming and shaping hedges and bushes
- Snipping/spraying/weeding
- Mowing
- Pest and disease control
Summer is also when Christmas occurs, and as such many of our shopping centres have their peak trading periods. We therefore focus on making sure each of our sites look their absolute best in the lead up to this time of year.
Autumn:
As the weather starts to cool down (18-27°C) and the days get shorter, landscapers begin to prepare for the upcoming Winter. They focus on readying outdoor spaces for the colder months, giving special attention to pruning shrubs and ‘crown lifting’ trees.
These are important activities to have completed prior to mulching in Winter, and are also best practice in landscape maintenance. Primarily because they help ensure plants present at their best and that no safety issues arise. This includes the potential for sight lines in car parks to be obscured by new growth on trees through the Summer.
As temperatures start to cool down, deciduous trees will lose their foliage. As such, raking and removing leaves becomes an important task to keep a property neat and tidy.
Though our landscapers consistently monitor irrigation systems year-round, they typically make adjustments as temperatures cool in Autumn, preparing for the Winter season.
Winter:
During the Winter months (10-21°C), growth rates for plants are far lower. So the frequency of mowing, hedging, sniping and spraying will be far reduced. Casual landscapers may experience reduced hours to align with the decreased workload in the industry. However, this is not the case at Advance Plants as our team are generally always hired on permanent contracts.
Although our team still have to keep a close eye on the outdoor spaces throughout Winter, the lower growth rates allow us time to perform other important tasks. It is at this time of year where most of our mulching takes place. Installing generous volumes of high quality mulch to garden beds in Winter is vital to ensure an outstanding quality garden all year round. If the right type of mulch is chosen, it will help in significantly reducing the amount of weeds that grow and germinate throughout the warmer months of the year. It will also help add important nutrients back to the soil as it breaks down over time.
Winter is also the perfect time of year to undertake arborist works. While tree works can happen at any time of year, arborists are often very busy throughout Summer and quality operators can have long lead times. As such, Winter is a great time to be undertaking preventative maintenance works. This ensures that any potential safety issues are addressed prior to the storm season later in the year.
Finally, Winter is a great time for equipment maintenance. During the warmer months, landscapers are often using their power equipment (i.e. hedgers, mowers, blowers etc) non-stop. Winter is ideal for maintenance tasks like sharpening blades (or installing new ones), changing oil, and replacing air filters. Staying ahead with maintenance tasks optimises machinery performance and minimizes the risk of unplanned breakages in warmer months.
Landscape maintenance in Queensland
Being a landscaper in Queensland offers a unique opportunity to work in a beautiful and diverse environment. It is a physically demanding job that requires a combination of skills, including resilience and a positive attitude. However, the rewards are well worth the effort, as you get to see the results of your hard work and creativity come to life.
If you are interested in becoming a landscaper, it is important to have a strong work ethic, be willing to learn and adapt, and have a passion for the outdoors. Advance Plants is always on the lookout for talent landscapers to join our team.
Advance Plants focuses on commercial landscape maintenance. We deliver high quality service at a range shopping centres, prestigious hotels and other commercial properties.
