Assistant Gardener
Assistant Gardener vacancy.
Fonthill House near Tisbury is located in one of the most beautiful parts of South West Wiltshire you could possibly hope for. It’s a wonderful place to live and work, with Tisbury being just a mile or so away with a great variety of shops, a regular bus service and a train station. The Estate is 9,000 acres and the 10 acre gardens that lie within have the benefit of alkaline soil as well as acid so is able to grow almost anything. Over the last ten years or so, the owner has had the advice and help of two renowned garden designers, Tania Compton and Marie-Louise Agius, who have helped with replanting and developing the gardens, and this is still an ongoing process.
There are formal areas, a no dig kitchen garden, within which are three greenhouses used to propagate border stock, fruit and vegetables for the house, as well as seasonal flowers and bulbs. There is a traditional orchard including trained fruit such as apple espaliers, pear cordons, peach and apricot fans, and a large collection of fig trees all of which provide produce for the Cook to use in the house, or at the many Estate events.
There are wildflower meadows throughout the garden underplanting the extensive ornamental tree collection. To the north of the house are wonderful woodland walks with azaleas, camelias, rhododendrons, sweet chestnuts and tall majestic oaks that are awash with snowdrops, daffodils and bluebells in the spring. Surrounding the house are formal areas with mixed planting of shrubs and herbaceous perennials, bulbs and annuals, that are always being updated, as well as various topiary pieces. There is also a very large collection of roses including shrubs, climbers and ramblers.
The successful candidate will delight in the constant and incredible 360˚ view of the woodland behind the house, the parkland and grazing sheep in the front, and the amazing variety of changing colours within. And on top of that there is a small selection of old and new sculptures including a water feature by William Pye (almost identical to the one in Salisbury Cathedral which is also a working font).
We are looking for an Assistant Gardener to join an existing team of a Head Gardener and a part time Assistant. Horticultural knowledge is an essential part of the application as is a clean driving licence. We’re looking for someone who will be a team player, someone with a passion for gardening, an eye for detail and initiative. If they have propagation and glasshouse knowledge that would be very welcome. They must have a willingness to work in all areas of the garden and beyond. On the Estate there a number of departments all of which help each other when needed to give back up as and when required and so the successful candidate might be called upon to sometimes help move sheep from one area to another, to mow areas other than around the house, to hedge cut, and planting of trees & hedges.
Manual and heavy machinery work will be involved and the successful candidate must be comfortable around dogs because the owner has a few. This is a full-time live in position in a lovely two bedroom cottage next to the main house. The candidate will be required to share the responsibility with the Housekeeper for the security of the house when the owner is away. This position would also suit a couple because we are looking for a full time cleaner for the house. Please email CV and covering letter to Mrs Vicky Macaskie at vm@fonthill.co.uk.
This private advert is being managed directly by the employer. English Country Gardeners are not involved in the hiring process and are therefore unable to share any additional information on this role. If you have any questions regarding this position, the best course of action is to apply for the job which will open a line of communication with the employer.
If you would like to view more information on the Professional Gardeners Guild, please click here and the Royal Horticultural Society, please click here
For more gardener roles please click here
