South Africans are very keen gardeners generally, but most people are too busy and do not have the time or energy to design or maintain their gardens.

South Africans are very keen gardeners generally, but most people are too busy and do not have the time or energy to design or maintain their gardens.

This is where landscape designers not only fill the gap, but can make a good living in a country with such high employment.

Landscaping is a very diverse field. It involves laying out and designing gardens, planting trees, shrubs and flowers and caring for them. It also includes designing walkways, decks, retaining walls, patios, garden lighting, water-sprinkler systems and anything else related to gardens.

Clients for a landscaping business include residential (homes and complexes), public and private schools, parks, recreation centres and street scapes, among others.

Civic centre landscapes, waterfronts, business courtyards and golf courses are some of the landscaping businesses of high-paying clients.

With the 2010 Fifa Soccer World Cup approaching, there are many opportunities for landscape artists. New stadiums are built and they will all require well-maintained gardens.

In addition, as a way of preparing for 2010, many tourist attraction centres are built all over the country, especially in host cities and towns. For such places to attract visitors, the landscape and scenery has to be perfect and only landscape experts have the ability to do that.

The landscaping business is diverse and there are many specialities that one can choose from such as planting and maintaining grass, planting trees and shrubs and planting and maintaining flower beds.

There are two niches to choose from: residential and commercial landscaping.

If starting a landscaping business from scratch is too much for you, options such as buying an already existing business or buying a franchise are open to any interested and aspiring landscaping entrepreneur.