There are certain skills you need to begin a career as a Professional Landscaper. With the Penn Foster Professional Landscaper Program you can learn plant health, soil, and fertilizers; servicing garden tractors and other tools used in landscaping; creating landscaping designs using shrubs and ground covers; specialty landscaping, starting and operating your own landscaping business.

The Program provides all necessary books, lessons and learning aids; tree and shrub identification books; 3D Home Design Suite Deluxe Software; unlimited instructional support; access to Student Services by website, phone and mail.

You will earn Certified Groundskeeper status from the Professional Grounds Management Society upon successful completion of a proctored exam.

The Professional Landscaper Program consists of eight Instruction Sets:

Instruction Set 1
     Introduction to Landscaping. This course introduce basic skills of a landscaper; skills needed to recognize common landscaping problems.

Instruction Set 2
     Plants and Their Health. This course explores parts of a plant; elements plants need to thrive; annual, biannual, and perennial plants.
     Soils and Fertilizers. Here you can learn classifications of soil and their properties; adjusting the soil’s pH; properly and safely applying fertilizer.
     Pest Management. This course will teach you to recognize damage caused by insects and related pests; types of weeds; diagnosing problems.

Instruction Set 3
     Hand Tools. The course discovers types of hand tools and their uses; determining which tool is appropriate for the job.
     Power Tools. Here you can browse through components of outdoor power equipment; maintaining small power tools.

Instruction Set 4
     Servicing Lawn Mowers and Riding Mowers. This course investigates basic parts of a rotary lawn mower and their functions; routine maintenance procedures for rotary lawn mowers; sharpening and balancing lawn mower blades; preparing a lawn mower for seasonal storage; troubleshooting lawn mower problems.
     Servicing Garden Tractors. The course discovers basic parts of a riding mower and garden tractor; maintenance procedures; preparing a riding mower or garden tractor for seasonal storage; troubleshooting problems.

Instruction Set 5
     Tree Identification. Here you can learn about simple and compound leaves; identifying trees by their flowers, twigs, and buds or bark.
     Shrub Identification. Here you can learn about alternate and opposite leaves; identifying shrubs by their flowers, twigs, and buds or bark.

Instruction Set 6
     Ground Covers. Here you will learn how to prepare an area to be planted properly; methods of planting ground cover.
     Design for Residential and Commercial Properties. This course will teach you to mix and matching trees and shrubs in your design; using mulch and/or stone.

Instruction Set 7
     Turfgrass Establishment. The course discovers varieties of grass; preparing the soil for planting; mulching newly seeded lawns; recommended watering schedule.
     Turfgrass Maintenance. The course explores the ways of cutting the grass at the proper mowing height; properly edging sidewalks.

Instruction Set 8
     Specialty Landscapes. Here you will learn about proper planting around a pool; designs most effective in enhancing a gazebo; planting designs for use near ponds; designing a rock garden.
     Your Landscaping Business – familiarize students with the opportunities in the industry; managing your business.

You will earn Certified Groundskeeper status from the Professional Grounds Management Society upon successful completion of a proctored exam.

Program tuition fee - $989