Sole Gardener
Sole Gardener required
A rare opportunity has arisen for an experienced and well-rounded gardener with excellent horticultural knowledge to join a welcoming estate in the South of France, on a live-in basis. The role will suit an academically qualified gardener in search of a varied ‘lifestyle position’ in one of the most beautiful and sought-after parts of the world.
Parts of the varied garden are undergoing a 10-year rejuvenation project, with the remainder being established and comprising a fruit and citrus orchard, large kitchen garden (managed by two alternating contract gardeners), a courtyard garden, glasshouse, lawns, topiary and hedges, potted plants, mature trees, a pond and adjacent woodland. The property also plays host to Donkeys, Chickens and Bees, the latter being managed by an Apiarist. A maintenance worker also lives on site and has been with the family for 20-years – a testament to the enjoyable atmosphere and welcoming nature of the clients. This vacancy has become available due to the current gardener planning to return to his home country of Spain in November of this year, leaving the possibility of a timely handover with the successful new applicant.
Applicants for this role must have a flexible and positive approach to their work, with a genuine willingness to ensure the smooth running of the estate in any way they can. The ideal candidate will hold a recognised horticultural qualification and/or considerable gardening experience in a similar role. Applicants for this role must have good plant identification skills and garden management experience, ideally on diverse private estates. Competence with a range of garden machinery (and basic maintenance thereof) is essential, as is an ability to undertake species-specific pruning, plant propagation and glasshouse work, hedge cutting, lawn maintenance, planting, bed/border maintenance. An understanding of kitchen gardening would be beneficial in order to support the contract gardeners in this area where necessary. Applicants will need to be physically fit and must hold a full driving licence. Fluency in the French language is not required, though at least a basic understanding would be beneficial.
A two-bedroom property is offered with the salary, comprising a kitchen, bathroom, lounge and living room. The cottage would be suitable for a single person or a couple with up to two children (sharing a room). Pets are welcome within reason. The property owners are away from site a lot but are very passionate about their property, the gardens and the staff that make the estate such an enjoyable place to live and work. This is an excellent opportunity for a talented gardener/horticulturist to take on a dream role on a permanent full-time basis in the South of France.
SALARY:Circa £25,000 DOE (Gross)
LOCATION:Antibes, France
JOB No: EC18015
If this Sole 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 Sole 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 Sole Gardener vacancy will have been unsuccessful.
