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Head Gardener

Employer
National Trust
Location
Lanhydrock, Lanhydrock, Bodmin, PL30 4DE
Salary
£35022
Closing date
18 Sep 2022

Job Details

Summary            

The Head Gardener is responsible for all aspects of care for this significant garden: delivering horticultural excellence, engaging visitors with the story of the garden and ensuring it is accessible to everyone.

This position offers an exciting opportunity to help people enjoy this wonderful garden in whatever way they choose whilst inspiring them with an enthusiasm for horticulture and for the work of the National Trust.

What it's like to work here            

As Head Gardener you will report directly to the General Manager and be part of the collaborative leadership team at Lanhydrock. The leadership team support each other to deliver property objectives, make decisions and ensure the wider team work collaboratively together to give the visitors a great experience. You will seek out information about the wider property and the work of the Trust in order to become a valuable contributor to this team. As one of the senior staff on the property you will support on occasion as duty manager.

In 2014 the outdoor offer was expanded to include 14km of off-road cycle trails, a skills area and cycle hire business and is as well-known for its outdoor activity provision as it is for it’s classic house and garden offer. The property welcomes around 220,000 visitors to the house and gardens each year and around 280,000 to its wider estate. The countryside is open year-round; the house and garden March-October. 

Lanhydrock’s much loved and important garden has a significant collection of magnolias and camellias. It is known for the high standards of presentation of its formal garden areas but also features herbaceous borders and a woodland garden which provide interest at any time of year.

What you'll be doing            

Lanhydrock is an evolving garden and there is opportunity for creativity and dynamic gardening in addition to ensuring garden aesthetics are compatible with the historic integrity of the property. The future of the formal planting scheme at the front of the house is currently under review and the post-holder will have an opportunity to devise a short, medium and long term plan for this area.

You’ll lead a team of three permanent and one seasonal member of staff and be responsible for their recruitment, management, job satisfaction and development.  You’ll create a working environment which fosters individual commitment and enthusiasm, develop engaging roles for volunteers and enable the development of the garden apprentice.  

You’ll set and deliver your own operating and conservation budgets of circa £250,000 per annum and be responsible for safety and compliance within the garden. You'll ensure everyone feels welcome in the garden and support the interpretation aims of the property in imaginative ways.

The post-holder is responsible for the historic kitchen garden area which is currently used to grow on plants for the parterre. 

Who we're looking for            

To be successful in this role you'll need to have;

  • Proven experience of managing a diverse garden throughout the seasons and be able to draw on your excellent knowledge of plants and plant care 
  • A passion for horticulture and a creative, enthusiastic and inspirational leadership style, with a ‘can do’ attitude
  • A higher level of horticultural experience supported by appropriate qualifications to RHS level 3 or above (or equivalent vocational experience) 
  • Experience of managing a team and setting high standards for yourself and those around you, delivering with pace and energy
  • An appreciation of the importance of forward planning, access, interpretation, presentation and engagement
  • Experience in engaging others and sharing your knowledge and expertise 
  • Significant experience of managing operational risk and compliance requirements relevant to horticulture
  • An interest in conservation which extends beyond the garden and an ability to make a valuable contribution to the leadership team and the future of the place

If you would like to find out more before applying, please feel free to contact the recruiting manager by email on rebecca.brookes@nationaltrust.org.uk to arrange a mutually convenient time for a call.

Company

There's no other organisation like the National Trust. No other organisation that brings such an amazing variety of places and spaces to life.

We are a charity founded in 1895 by Octavia Hill, Sir Robert Hunter and Canon Hardwicke Rawnsley, three people who saw the importance of our nation’s heritage and open spaces, and wanted to protect them for everyone to enjoy. More than a century after we were founded, our values are still at the heart of everything we do. And we do a lot more than you might think. 

We welcome some 22.5 million visitors, from all ages and backgrounds, every year. We care for historic houses, gardens, mills, forests, castles, miles of coastline, islands, holiday cottages, pubs and inns, whole villages and even a goldmine. We also run a huge retail chain, a multi-million pound food and beverage business and much, much more. And we do all of this so that everyone can enjoy and make the most of the green spaces and beautiful places that England, Wales and Northern Ireland has to offer. 

The National Trust is described by its employee gardeners as “dynamic, supportive, inquisitive and fun”, where its beautiful places “lift your spirits naturally” and “somewhere you can expand new skills”. The organisation is currently recruiting for a number of gardening roles. 

Read more in our latest articles:

What makes the National Trust a special place to work?

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