Senior Gardener
A unique and incredible opportunity has become available for a Senior Gardener to work with a world renown garden designer, Piet Oudolf, installing some ground-breaking designs within a sixty-acre garden. This vacancy would suit an enthusiastic and experienced horticulturalist with energy and the kind of attention to detail that takes the good and makes it great!
The successful candidate will join a growing estate team at a senior level and will be responsible for managing and maintaining the modern gardens to a high horticultural standard. The 60 acres surrounding property is effectively gardens, parkland with expansive grass areas and includes pathways through and around the vineyard within the grounds, 3 large ponds currently being landscaped and a stream. There is also a formal outdoor swimming pool and a natural bathing pool containing aquatic plants and water lilies.
The gardens contain Piet Oudolf new perennial beds and borders, a formal Hornbeam walk with Beech hedges beneath it to be kept well clipped, free standing specimen seasonal flowering trees and shrubs, climbing roses, small natural woodland area and flowering meadows in the fields. There is no kitchen garden but plans for fruit trees to be planted. There are several plans for the garden, future projects and ongoing development such as working with the James Hitchmough to develop the Wetland meadow from seed with young plants being added this Spring- Summer. A collection of specimens Taxodium disticum is to be planted this autumn along with other trees.
The Senior Gardener will be expected to liaise directly with the owners, plan at least 12 months ahead to prepare for all eventualities in the garden and suggest seasonal and long-term planting and maintenance strategies. This will include all routine work as well as project work, developments, enhancements and implementations. In addition, they will be planning for new planting, bulb planting and displays, propagation of plants for re-stocking, ordering of materials such as mulch at the appropriate time for use in the garden. The Senior Gardener will plan ahead to ensure continuity of supplies and purchase supplies as required. They will also be assessing the abilities of all contractors / team members and allocating work in the appropriate manner providing a work schedule.
Applicants are expected to have experience working on private estate garden, have extensive horticultural knowledge and / or a horticultural qualification. They will ideally hold tickets such as spray certificates and chainsaw as well as ideally have relevant licences for the use of large garden machinery (tractors, lawnmowers, strimmer’s, chain saws, hedge cutters, etc). All equipment is to be kept in a clean and safe operating condition.
Prospective candidates are required to be excellent cultivators, have experience in all aspects of the horticultural year and be able to communicate well. They will need to be able to co-ordinate and develop all other areas of the property as required. The role would suit a team player who also has the genuine passion to lead a team to create a well maintained, beautiful estate. More importantly, however, he/she must have a strong desire to move up into a Head Gardener vacancy. Having a “can do” attitude is imperative.
SALARY: up to £40,000 depending on experience
LOCATION: Newbury, Berkshire
JOB No: EC58966
If this Senior Gardener vacancy is of interest, please apply or contact Sara Yassin on 01233 733510 or info@englishcountrygardeners.co.uk
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Thank you for the interest you have shown in this Senior Gardener vacancy. Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications that we receive, it is not possible to respond to every one. Therefore, unless you hear from us within the next 14 days, your application for this Senior Gardener vacancy will have been unsuccessful.
