Head Gardener
An experienced and responsible Head Gardener is required to work in an incredible private garden and estate in the New Forest. It is an exciting opportunity to join the new owners as they take on the management of the existing garden and landscape as well as being a part of the development of several new areas of garden.
The site is 180 acres of varying landscape from historic parkland, woodland, ponds, wetlands, equestrian paddocks and mixed grasslands. About 5 acres are the formal garden areas which are a mixture of woodland garden, mixed shrub and herbaceous borders, orchard, food production, composting areas & formal lawns. There are several greenhouses and a walled garden which will be undergoing a comprehensive redesign as part of the new works. These works will be undertaken by external contractors and overseen by the Client’s Landscape Designer who will also project manage them. At the heart of the redesign will be food production as well as cut flowers for the house so experience in kitchen gardening is key. There is also a tennis court and equestrian facilities on site.
The successful candidate should have strong horticultural knowledge, as well as extensive experience in both administrative and practical management of gardens and landscapes throughout the year and proven supervisory experience. The position is full time, and the head gardener will be required to work with and manage other garden staff and coordinate with external contractors, as required, for specialist horticultural works. They will be expected to manage, programme and oversee any external maintenance and service contractors for items such as the irrigation, potential grazing and various energy elements. It will also be necessary for them to gain a working understanding of the relevant equipment for day-to-day management. They will be expected to keep up-to-date records and daily diaries accordingly.
The Head Gardener will be expected to maintain the grounds to the highest horticultural standards throughout the seasons and have a sound understanding of general garden machinery, their uses and maintenance They should be willing to undertake training as required and qualifications in spraying (PA1 and PA6), hedge-cutting and chainsaw use would be an advantage. They should be good at budget planning and have a comprehensive understanding of the relevant Health and Safety Regulations, environmental management, manual handling and risk assessment. References will be required.
Candidates must have excellent interpersonal skills, be self-motivated and capable of working as part of a team, have a valid driving license and be comfortable around animals.
SALARY: £35,000 – £40,000 DOE
LOCATION: Lyndhurst, New Forest
JOB No: EC27273
If this Head 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 Head 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 Head Gardener vacancy will have been unsuccessful.
