Gardener and Vineyard Assistant
Gardener and Vineyard Assistant required
This is a great opportunity to take on a varied role while helping to manage the large formal gardens, estate and seven-acre vineyard surrounding an historic manor house in Surrey.
Working with both the Head Gardener and the owners, the ideal candidate would be knowledgeable, adaptable and organised with a positive, hard-working attitude and the ability to work well within a small team.
Apart from the general duties required to maintain the gardens at a high standard ( opening for the National Garden Scheme as well as charity events) you will be involved in helping to manage our vineyard, producing classic sparkling and still rose wines.
In the garden you will be expected to:
- Maintain beds with mixed planting, climbers and roses
- Maintain extensive box and yew topiary and wisteria that covers large parts of the house.
- Prune the fruit trees ( apple, pear and quince).
- Undertake a programme of lawn care including mowing, scarifying, aerating, moss control and feeding.
- Strim paths and banks, cut hedges, keep paths swept and rake over the gravel drive as necessary
- Spray herbicides, fungicides and foliar feeds using knapsack sprayers.
- Manage the ponds including the upkeep of pond fountain pumps and the removal of weed and algae.
- Plant, water and maintain pots of both annuals and shrubs
In the vineyard you will assist with:
- Annual winter pruning ( following training)
- Frost protection
- Tucking in and training new shoots
- Mowing the rows and headlands
- General leaf canopy management through the growing season
- Fruit protection measures (use of fungicidal sprays)
- Use of the mechanical hoe for weed management
- Use of the mechanised leaf trimmer for canopy management
- Harvesting and transportation of grapes to the winery
Training will be provided in the use of vineyard machinery as appropriate : tractor; flail mower; mechanical hoe; leaf trimmer and sprayer.
If not already acquired, training and certification will be provided for use of knapsack sprayers in the garden and the tractor-towed mist sprayer in the vineyard. Additionally, training can be provided for chainsaw certification ( ground based only).
You must also be willing to undertake non-gardening jobs as necessary in order to ensure the smooth-running of the estate. With other team-members this will include : maintenance of the pool and pool filtration, irrigation and borehole systems; maintaining gutters and drains as necessary and helping with the management of a small herd of Alpacas.
We would welcome applicants who are able to start immediately but we are happy to be flexible if notice is required.
Please send a covering letter with your CV.
