The team at Farnborough Hall are looking for a Senior Gardener to join their team.

Hours: 37.5 hrs pw

Duration: permanent contract

Salary: £24,371 - £31,112 pa (dependent on experience)

What it's like to work here

Farnborough Hall and garden is surrounded by an important Grade 1 listed parkland and wider estate.  The formal areas of the garden surrounding the Hall include well-manicured lawns, small herbaceous borders and a beautiful rose garden with perpetual flowering roses laid out as a parterre and surrounded by box hedging. The Green Terrace is over a mile long and is an important feature in its own right set out to the west with a laurel hedge way scalloped with bastions and planted with Lime trees providing beautiful views across the 18c parkland to the Double planted Oak avenue, cascade and serpentine, with temples and a hidden obelisk at the extremity.  

The terrace is a flush of early spring bulbs and later blue bells which adorn the pathways.  On the return walk the Green trees and shrubby provide that feeling of ‘secret garden’ with darkness and light as you meander single file along the back drop of the terrace to discover a hidden gem of a Game larder and views back across the once productive walled garden and steeple of St Bastions church.  

A note from the Head Gardener, Heather: “We’re a happy and thriving gardening team here at Farnborough. We’re so lucky to work in such a unique location and proud of the work we do to give our visitors the chance to explore Farnborough in all it’s seasonal splendour. We’re keen to invite applicants to apply for this fantastic role and look forward to welcoming the successful candidate on board”.

What you'll be doing

As Senior Gardener you’ll be working alongside the historic family, helping to manage the beautiful gardens, wider estate and woodland together with the tenant farmer, who also has a tenancy which includes the farm and parkland.

This is a varied and unique role. By leading a small team of ‘core’ volunteers you’ll have an opportunity to grow that number in order to develop the volunteer experience on the wider estate which includes vast water features, veteran trees and woodland, as well as the garden. We’re looking for someone to support on leading garden walks/tours whilst ensuring that our core offer maintains National Trust standards.  You may be called upon to  work across the portfolio of gardens helping and assisting other members of the team in these unique areas passing on your skills and gaining lots of other experience.

A truly exciting position with an opportunity to get involved in supporting the garden plan which includes maintaining the horticulture aspects of the green terrace and formal gardens whilst taking a wider view across the parkland and maintaining the avenues of recently planted trees and care for the informal water features as laid out in the 1772 parkland plan.  Being involved and working with consultants and other team members with the next stage of the parkland stewardship scheme.  Ensuring compliance and health and safety is also reviewed along the way.  You’ll have the chance to work alongside the GM, Head Gardener, Facilities Manager and the consultancy team to play your part in the future offer at Farnborough.

The Senior Gardener is supported by an Assistant Gardener and a team of volunteers.

Who we're looking for

To be successful in this role you should be able to demonstrate the following:

• Significant practical experience in horticulture supported by relevant qualifications

• Have supervisory experience from a similar role

• Excellent knowledge of plants

• Competent with the use and maintenance of garden machinery including chainsaws, tractors, hedge trimmers, pedestrian and ride on mowers

• Knowledge of relevant health and safety legislation and practice