Borde Hill (BH) is a registered charity and a Grade II* listed English Heritage Garden set within 200 acres of Parkland and Woodland in an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Created in the early 1900’s with plants gathered by the great plant hunters from their travels to the Himalayas, China, Burma, Tasmania, the Andes and North America, the Garden contains 78 champion trees and over 8,000 trees and shrubs listed by the Royal Botanic Gardens Kew. Borde Hill features one of the best private collections of champion trees in Britain and one of the most comprehensive collections of trees and shrubs in the world.

In addition to the living collection, the Garden also has a rare surviving written archive which allows us to better understand the plant collection and social history to engage our visitors about ‘the world in one garden’.

Our charitable aims include ‘the preservation and restoration of the Borde Hill Plant Collection, through the provision of education and training in horticulture, with a focus on all ages’. The Garden Council are a valuable resource for horticultural advice, bringing knowledge and expertise from RBG Kew, RBG Edinburgh, Cambridge Botanical Garden, RHS Wisley and Exbury Gardens amongst others. The Garden welcomes over 70,000 visitors each season (February-November) and offers an extensive and varied event programme.

The Stephenson Clarke family have been custodians of Borde Hill for five generations, and are at a stage of generational change that will see investment, new energy, opportunities and ideas aimed at broadening our visitor demographic and ensuring Borde Hill is sustainable for future generations. This will include new business initiatives of field to fork eating, a biodynamic growers project and a rejuvenated family parkland offering with improved infrastructure, better horticultural interpretation and plant management.

What we are looking for

Borde Hill is an evolving Garden and there is opportunity for creativity and dynamic gardening, whilst ensuring the aesthetics are compatible with the historic nature of the Garden. We are therefore looking for a knowledgeable and skilled horticulturist that can lead from the front, has a great eye for detail and is able to deliver creative, excellent horticulture to the highest standards.

As a key member of the team, you will be responsible for the effective day to day horticultural operation of the Garden and Woodland. This will include work planning, ensuring all work is adhered to health and safety legislation, managing a team of garden staff and volunteers, conducting tours and talks to the public.

We would like you to have RHS level 3 or equivalent supported by significant practical experience in Horticulture within a supervisory or leadership role. You should have a keen interest in plants and a strong willingness to learn more about our historic collection to support its development in the future.