Assistant Head Gardener

One of the finest woodland gardens in the country, Leonardslee Lakes and Gardens is set over 240 acres with superb collections of rhododendrons, azaleas, camellias, magnolias and bluebells. The landscaped gardens are Grade I listed and currently undergoing restoration and improvements. Features include a celebrated rock garden, arboretum, pinetum, seven lakes and miles of walking trails.

About the role

Green--fingered and hands-on with people management experience, you will assist in making sure that Leonardslee is maintained to exceptional standards. This role will include a range of practical horticultural tasks to develop, enhance and conserve the garden and will contribute to the delivery of projects and the ongoing restoration of the gardens. You will be responsible for managing the garden team and volunteers on a daily basis and must be confident in maintaining high levels of horticulture, prioritising workloads across the garden and always considering the overall vision for the garden. 

You will also manage our garden volunteers, supporting and helping them to make the most of their time here. Other key parts of the role are taking a lead on training our apprentices.

About you

You will be passionate about plants, with an eye for detail and experience working with collections of rare and unusual plants. Experience of managing a team of gardeners and volunteers in a large public garden is essential. We don’t want you to just tend the garden but be proud of it, and be comfortable and confident in sharing your knowledge with our interested visitors.

As well as practical horticulture experience, you will have RHS Level 3 (or equivalent) and an excellent understanding of horticultural techniques and plant identification. We would also like you to have experience of using garden machinery, PA1 and PA6, and experience working with contractors. A current first aid certificate would be great, but it’s not essential.