Part-time Skilled Gardener
A new vacancy has arisen on a private estate in North Kent for a Skilled Gardener to utilise their horticultural knowledge and experience on a part-time (up to 3-days/week), and self-employed basis. This role will suit an academically qualified local horticulturist with good planning and garden management skills.
The 11-acre historic garden contains several historic trees with preservation orders. The garden consists of formal borders and shrub/herbaceous borders, large lawns, a rose garden, yew hedging, pleached lime trees, a large kitchen garden area set out with vegetable beds, a soft fruit cage and fruit trees. Other areas include a greenhouse and two polytunnels that will be used for propagating seeds and cuttings, growing salad crops and maintaining house plants.
The gardens are currently maintained by local contractors; however, the property owner has a requirement for a gardener with knowledge of the finer horticultural aspects and wishes to replace the contractors with a part-time skilled horticulturist. The successful candidate will work in place of the contractors and will be required to undertake maintenance of the garden following replenishment/reworking of the borders. The kitchen garden is currently very time consuming and will be also changed in the near future to something less labour intensive, such as an area of fruit trees. The new role will involve management of the beds/borders, kitchen garden (initially), species-specific pruning, plant propagation and seasonal management of the garden as a whole. Following review and replenishment/alteration of the above aspects of the garden are complete, the role will focus solely on the maintenance of the garden.
Applicants will ideally have a minimum Level 3 horticultural qualification, PA1/PA6 spray certificates, combined with good plant knowledge, excellent technical skills and previous experience working on private estates. Applicants will need to be very organised, able to plan and prioritise and work to a high standard. Other requirements for the role are good communications skills and ability to work alongside other staff, contractors, and to communicate with the property owner on a regular basis. A willingness to work outside in all weathers, have the determination and drive to get a job done and a have a vision for maintaining and enhancing the garden as required, as is an ability to operate a range of garden machinery.
REMUNERATION:£20-25/hr DOE
LOCATION:North Kent
JOB No:EC19373
If this part-time Skilled Gardener vacancy is of interest, please apply or contact Mark Read on 01233 733510 or info@englishcountrygardeners.co.uk.
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Thank you for the interest you have shown in this part-time Skilled 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 part-time Skilled Gardener vacancy will have been unsuccessful.
