Head Gardener
Head Gardener Vacancy
A Head Gardener role on a 2 acre, wildlife-friendly garden surrounding an historic Grade II* manor house, in Devon
Location: Dartmoor National Park, Devon
Employment Type: Full-time, Live-out
Working Hours: 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM, five days a week
Salary: £35,000
Holiday Entitlement: 25 working days, plus bank holidays and the period between Christmas and New Year
Benefits:
Pension scheme
Access to produce from the kitchen garden
A beautiful working environment within a nature reserve
About the Role:
Are you an experienced gardener with a passion for horticulture and ecological gardening? Come and join a small friendly team in Devon working in a stunning 2-acres organic garden, set within a 150-acre nature reserve on Dartmoor. If you have a deep love and knowledge of plants, garden design, and sustainable practices, this role could be for you.
The garden, which has been featured in House & Gardens magazine and most recently in the ground breaking garden book, Pastoral Gardens, surrounds an historic 17th-century Grade II* manor house. The grounds are a mix of formally structured areas and informal planting, clipped topiary, ponds, wildflower meadows, and a walled kitchen potager garden dedicated to fruit and vegetable production. This position is ideal for a dedicated gardener who is ready to take day-to-day charge of maintaining and enhancing this unique space, all while working closely with the owner to realise the garden’s full potential.
Key Responsibilities:
Garden Maintenance:
Uphold the garden’s high horticultural standards through regular maintenance and care of all areas, including herbaceous borders, topiary, hedges, formal and informal lawns and some aspects of the wider estate.
Organic Practices: Maintain the garden’s organic status by avoiding the use of chemicals, managing the garden’s health through ecological practices.
Vegetable and Fruit Production: Oversee the kitchen garden, focusing on no-dig vegetable growing, propagation, and the training of fruit trees.
Design and Development: Collaborate with the owner to continue the garden’s development, bringing creativity and a vision for maintaining its beauty and ecological integrity.
Plant Care: Demonstrate strong plant identification skills and knowledge, ensuring that the garden’s diverse plant life is properly cared for.
Machinery Operation: Competently use garden machinery, including a compact tractor, lawn mowers, hedge trimmers, strimmer and chainsaw.
About You:
The ideal candidate will be a self-motivated, reliable, and energetic gardener who can work independently while maintaining open communication with the owner. You should have a comprehensive horticultural skill set, including plant propagation, pruning, topiary clipping, and a keen understanding of organic gardening practices. Experience in composting, vegetable growing, and the ability to work outdoors in all weather conditions is essential.
This physically demanding role requires a fit and strong individual who is passionate about plants and committed to maintaining and enhancing an historic, ecologically focused garden.
Requirements:
Extensive plant knowledge and identification skills
Experienced vegetable grower and keen on no-dig practices
Strong organisational and communication skills
Competence in using garden machinery
Current driving license
If you are passionate about gardening, with a strong commitment to ecological practices, and are looking for a role where you can truly make an impact, we would love to hear from you.:
Send your CV and a covering letter of why you want this job to: Brookgardener@gmail.com.
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
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