Head Gardener
A rare and exciting opportunity has arisen for a passionate and driven Head Gardener to manage a stunning botanical garden covering about 2 hectares in Montalcino (Siena), Italy.
The owner is a botany and landscape architecture enthusiast and has designed and created the garden growing hundreds of species, including antique roses and flowers sourced from all over the world. In addition to roses, bushes, perennials, enchanting peonies and beautiful collectable irises, there are also extraordinarily beautiful rare bulbs in the garden, such as the Tulipa Maureen tulip, which adorns the Renaissance-design flower beds, dominated by box plants. Olive trees, cypresses, lime trees and Melia Azedarach (“bead tree”) form a background to the gardens, which are harmoniously integrated into the Mediterranean scrub.
The garden is compartmentalised and includes the White Garden, a favourite haunt of “nocturnal pollinators”. The garden serves as a biodiversity pool for all the close environment, vineyard included. Countless insects and several other animal species have found a home in the botanical garden. There is also a pond, where aquatic plants and flowers grow, including the splendid water lily Marliacea Albida and Nelumbo Nucifera, whose leaves sparkle with crystalline drops of water. The garden is open to the public upon request and arranged in advance.
The owner has been developing and managing the garden for the past 30 years and is now looking for a Head Gardener towork closely with them. Together they are supported by 2 – 3 gardeners on a part time basis. As the garden includes about 1,000 roses of different species (Chinese, The, Climber, Rambler, Sarmentose, etc.), skills and capabilities in pruning is crucial. The successful candidate will manage and maintain the garden with a good attitude and the determination to do the done to the highest standard. He / She will be expected to carry out seasonal treatments and be able to assess the soil to make it an ideal “home” for what is to be planted. He / She will have the proper “feeling for the beauty” and sensitiveness, of the garden and can organise their schedule, whether working alone or with the help of a team.
Applicants will have conversational Italian, excellent horticultural knowledge and plant identification skills. They will be a true plants person, having experience working in a similar environment and ideally holding a horticultural qualification. The garden is organic; therefore, a good understanding of organic practices would be an advantage.
A one-bedroom property close to the garden is provided with the position. It is part of one of the buildings belonging to the estate, but with independent entrance. Annual leave to be agreed in advance and depending on garden’s needs, considering that summer is quite a busy period for a garden in Tuscany.
This is an incredible opportunity for a head gardener with a true passion for the nature, for flowers and plants, for this garden in particular, in itself and as a part of the ecosystem.
SALARY: £30,000-£35,000 DOE
LOCATION: Montalcino (Siena), Italy
JOB No: EC5254
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 Head Gardener vacancy will have been unsuccessful.
