Head Gardener

Head Gardener Wanted to help Restore Historic Woodland Garden in Surrey Hills 

Head Gardener wanted for lovely large private woodland garden in the Surrey Hills, a few miles  from Guildford, due to the retirement of the current garden contractor and his maintenance team.  

This is an exciting opportunity for a knowledgeable and energetic gardener to work with a young  family restoring and bringing back to life an historic garden with stunning views from the top of the  Surrey Hills. Currently the garden consists of wide, open lawns with limited planting around them  and a large woodland garden consisting of trees and mainly rhododendrons in its acidic soils. The  new gardener would play a key role in the garden restoration and replanting, bring heart and life  back to this wonderful place. 

The gardener’s role would be to work with landscape designers Mazzullo+Russell alongside the  client with a gradual programme of replanting and restoration of this garden originally planted in  the 1880’s around a remarkable country house with further additions approximately 20 years ago.  We are looking for someone who would genuinely enjoy the restoration and improvement process  and also be able to bring knowledge and enthusiasm to this exciting project. 

The suitable candidate must be interested in plants and plantsmanship with a good experience of  all forms of horticulture from maintaining borders to propagation, shrub pruning to turf  maintenance. An interest in acid loving trees and shrubs would also be useful along with  experience of woodland gardens.  

The candidate would be expected to be very hands on physically but also recruiting and running a  small team of assistant gardeners and outside contractors as required. The job also includes  responsibility for a full range of mechanical equipment, tennis court maintenance and general  garden cleanliness. The job entails everything from basic border mulching and digging to skilled  pruning and is never dull. The job will also involve a certain amount of administration, including  running a garden budget, ordering plants and supplies plus supervising the work of the garden  team and outside contractors. 

The garden is designed in two parts, an upper level consisting of an entrance drive, walled  herbaceous border and large lawns surrounding by trees and shrubs with stunning views across the  valley below. The woodland garden covers the slopes below with a myriad of paths through  overgrown planting along with a small pond and damp loving planting. The property also includes  fields and a tennis court where a new gym building, and surrounding garden is currently planned.  An existing swimming pool and pool house is maintained by others, but paving and surrounding  borders need to be very well maintained. 

Salary will be attractive and is commensurate with experience as no accommodation is offered and  it is hoped the gardener would live within a sensible travelling distance. 

Please give details of all training and experience, including details of all proficiency certificates  achieved. Horticultural qualifications and experience are essential, and references will be required as well as a driving licence. It would also be helpful to know about your interests and hobbies.