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Sole Gardener

Employer
English Country Gardeners
Location
Chepstow
Salary
Circa £35,000 DOE
Closing date
13 Mar 2020

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Contract Type
Permanent
Hours
Full Time
Function
Gardening Jobs
Sector
Horticultural Specialist

A fantastic new opportunity for an academically qualified and experienced gardener has become available at an exciting phase of development on a stunning Edwardian estate near Chepstow, Wales.  Using the original structure of the Edwardian garden, a significant proportion of the property is currently being renovated and re-designed by Arne Maynard, with completion expected in spring of 2020.  At this time, a Sole Gardener will be required to take ownership of the garden to ensure continued development and maintenance to a consistently high standard.

This impressive estate has been divided into different properties, with work being carried out on the main house garden which has deteriorated over the years.  The newly-designed two-acre garden will incorporate the original structure of the Edwardian garden as created at the beginning of the 1900’s, and will bring back the rich planting palette that has been lost over time as well as hard landscaping materials appropriate to the period. 

Upon completion, the garden will consist of a terrace that wraps around the house with clipped enkianthus in pots with borders planted primarily with irises, a very large pergola garden supporting wisteria and roses with a surrounding rose garden encircling a formal pond planted with water lilies.  Large copper beech topiary will be set alongside the roses and will provide structure and scale, with cloud topiary providing variation of form and a contemporary edge.  A formal bowling lawn will be enveloped by an original yew hedge, framing various sculptures, with large yew topiary, two water features and deep herbaceous and shrub borders to provide colour against the deep green background.  An informal meadow of long grass planted with a collection of cherry trees and spring bulbs will provide a natural feel and a soft backdrop to the formal portions of the garden.  A rock garden will surround a large water garden, itself providing a diverse and stimulating focal point when viewed from the sunny south-facing aspect of the house.  Numerous existing trees at various stages of maturity will be retained, which will play a significant role in maintaining the historic and established feel of the property.  Upon completion of works to the main house in the spring of 2020, a magnolia walkway lined by peonies, mixed borders and a sculptural, spiral landform will be added.

As expected from a garden designed by Arne Maynard and his team, applicants for this position must possess extensive experience in hands-on garden management at a high level.  Suitable candidates will hold academic horticultural qualifications, preferably at RHS Level 3 or above, extensive knowledge of plants and their seasonal management and should have a strong background in private estate gardening at Sole/Senior and/or Head level.  Applicants must be physically fit and must be competent in the operation and basic maintenance of a full range of garden machinery.

The successful applicant will have additional help with items such as topiary clipping at certain times of the year as well as from specialist contractors, i.e. arboricultural specialists where necessary, but must be able and willing to work efficiently on their own for the majority of the time.  For the purpose of relocation assistance if required, 20% of the successful candidate’s agreed monthly pay will be added to the base pay each month for the first 12 months’ of employment.

SALARY:       Circa £35,000 DOE

LOCATION:   Chepstow, Wales

JOB No:         EC5274

If this Sole Gardener vacancy is of interest, please apply or contact Mark Read on 01233 733510 or info@englishcountrygardeners.co.uk.

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.

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