Gardener
A rare and incredible opportunity has become available for a gardener to manage and maintain the 1-acre productive and ornamental garden of an award-winning country pub in Hampshire. The position is for a sole gardener, to join a friendly team of 22 staff working at the pub.
On the production side, the gardener will work closely with the kitchen team in identifying and growing fruit, vegetables and produce seasonally for their dishes. They will be responsible for the poly tunnel planted up with salads and vegetables as well as the raised beds. This includes tending to the beds, for the growing of vegetables, garlic, onions, runner bean, salads, peas and the asparagus beds. There are box balls, gifted by Lord Lloyd Webber 12 years ago, that require top dressing or repotting each year in Autumn. The strawberries grow around each raised bed perimeter and the new young plants are potted on for further use. Good appearance at all times is essential as guests have access to the area to view the garden. Plum trees were planted in Spring 2013 and needs watering regularly.
There are four timed-watering systems at the pub – 1. Poly tunnel, 2. hanging baskets and brick wall, 3. lawns, raised beds and boarders, and 4. Plum trees, asparagus bed and lawn. All pots to be hand watered twice a week or more if required, from water tanks/butts and fed with tomato food once a month.
The non-productive areas of the garden include the hedges to be cut as required and cuttings to be planted in small pots for future hedges, the borders are to be maintained, divided and plants replaced as required and the Piecrust edging to be trimmed by hand. Lawncare; cutting the lawn once a week, and the kitchen staff help with moving tables and chairs, weed and feed twice a year or as needed and Supagrass applied two treatments a year. The hanging baskets are to be planned in advance for the next year, as well as the theme for troughs and pots too. The gardener will also be responsible for maintaining the indoor plants, repotting when needed including the preparation of bulbs for indoor display, potting in jam pans with moss or decorative bark and tending to Phalaenopsis.
Other responsibilities include leaf blowing, clearing the gutter, mowing the paddock, strimming the field entrance and footpath – These areas do not belong to the pub but require maintenance as our guests use them. The owners are keen to encourage wildlife such as frogs, spiders, ladybirds, birds and a hedgehog or two! Pest control is used in the form of rat boxes/baits and slug pellets however insect spraying is to be used sparingly. The gardener will maintain and clean the garden machinery on a regular basis as well and purchasing petrol for the mowers and supplies as and when required. As required, wood to be brought up from wood pile in field either for decorative purposes or fallen wood to be piled up and burned.
This exciting opportunity would suit a driven and passionate horticulturalist with a keen eye for detail.
SALARY: £25,000
LOCATION: Between Newbury and Basingstoke, Hampshire
JOB No: EC31471
If this 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 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 Gardener vacancy will have been unsuccessful.
