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Gardener

Employer
Dodington Park Estate
Location
BS37 6SF, Bristol
Salary
Competitive salary and benefits package
Closing date
3 Oct 2021

Overview – Estate

Dodington Park Estate is on the boundary between South Gloucestershire and the county of Avon balanced on the Cotswold Escarpment.  At the centre of the estate is Dodington House an 18th Century Georgian mansion which is currently being used as a private home.

When you come to work at Dodington Park, you’ll be joining a team of dedicated staff who work towards the renovation and maintenance of the house and surrounding estate, and where we always strive to achieve the highest possible standards of work and craftsmanship.

Overview – Gardens Team

We are looking for two experienced gardeners to join the established team of 9 people.  You will work with the rest of the team to achieve the highest standards of horticulture and take pride in ensuring that the gardens are beautifully presented and maintained. Dodington Park is developing new and exciting garden projects, so this is a great opportunity for someone who is willing to work hard and develop their career.

Main Duties/Responsibilities

  • Responsible for garden maintenance as directed by the Gardens and Grounds Manager. Primarily in an established rose garden, rugosa maze, a large walled garden, wildflower meadows and a shrub walk but also working alongside other gardeners in a variety of garden areas. The gardens are expanding so the successful candidate is likely to have some responsibility for the maintenance of these new areas in the near future.
  • Key areas within the gardens include: Temporary floral displays including Urns and Planters. Rose, shrub and herbaceous plantings including naturalistic schemes. Kitchen and cut flower gardens. Nursery with propagation and growing on areas. Extensive formal hedging/topiary and fine lawns and high-quality turf.
  • Maintaining plants in Greenhouses and Orangery
  • Propagation and growing-on greenhouse and container plants.
  • Design, planting and maintenance of seasonal flower displays.
  • Weeding.
  • Watering plants.
  • Plant feeding.
  • Pruning roses, fruit and climbers.
  • Training and staking of plants.
  • Planting.
  • Identification and Control of pests and diseases, IPM and Bio-control
  • Picking and harvesting produce.
  • Clearance of Leaves and general garden keeping.
  • Lawn mowing
  • Hedge and topiary maintenance.
  • Any other general garden maintenance.
  • Helping out other team members with their tasks where needed.
  • Upholding the Values of the Estate – ensuring that you understand, embrace and keep focus on the principles and priorities of the Estate at all times.
  • Developing and maintaining positive working relationships across the estate.
  • Commitment to developing yourself within your role – undergoing training where necessary.

Person specification / Core Competencies:

  • Skilled horticulturalist/gardener/grounds person with wide range of experience in high-quality settings.
  • Relevant qualifications in horticulture (RHS level 2 and/or Diploma or equivalent).
  • Good plant knowledge.
  • Experience in using garden machinery and its basic maintenance.
  • Keen eye for detail.
  • Appreciation and understanding of colour and form in the garden.
  • Experience in temporary floral displays, floristry and container growing is desirable.
  • Plant nursery experience useful.
  • Spraying certificate PA1 & PA6 is desirable (training will be provided where necessary). Knowledge of biological control and sprays is useful.
  • Able to work in a tidy, safe manner and maintain tools and equipment.
  • Confident communication skills, with the ability to interact with individuals from a range of backgrounds.
  • Proactive and flexible approach to work.
  • Many tasks are physically demanding and carried out in all weathers.
  • Willing to take responsibility and ownership for tasks and garden areas.
  • Sense of discretion, appreciating the confidentiality of the work.
  • Ability to work autonomously, whilst possessing strong teamwork skills.
  • Full clean driving license.
  • Excellent organisational skills.
  • Computer literate.

In return, we offer a competitive salary and benefits package including Company pension scheme, 25 days holiday plus bank holidays, training opportunities, life assurance, Cycle to Work and access to wellbeing resources. 

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