Head Gardener

Our client is one of London’s finest private residences, a spectacular Grade II listed 30,000 sqft Georgian mansion, which has undergone a ten-year extensive restoration and meticulous refurbishment. This magnificent property is situated in Southwest London just moments from Richmond Park.

Its three-acre estate has been dramatically re-presented by a celebrated landscape architect, Todd Longstaffe-Gowan and includes green house, potager, extensive lawns, parterres, mixed shrub and herbaceous borders, flower gardens, sunken secluded Italian garden, water features, mature trees and woodland planting, extensive yew hedges and topiary, a championship-standard outdoor tennis court, outdoor swimming pool, paddock, stabling and other outbuildings.

The client also owns and manages a number of Award-winning Executive homes in the area, each having smaller but beautifully designed and stocked family gardens, having a range of mature trees, plants and lawns.

The owners are seeking to employ an experienced and dynamic Head Gardener who will have excellent horticultural knowledge and have experience of, or affinity with, historic gardens, and a passion for maintaining grounds to the highest standards, working closely in line with the owners’ vision.  The role will be supported by a small team and seasonal help.

It is essential to hold an academic horticultural qualification at Level 3 or above and ideally CS30/CS31 and PA1/PA6A certificates. The successful applicant will work with the client to create and deliver the agreed strategies for our short, medium and long-term goals, including agreeing and managing the budget. Responsibilities will include:

• the development and implementation of annual management plans for the estate’s gardens, formal parterre, herbaceous borders, greenhouse, vegetable/fruit gardens, lawns, water features, and newly planted and existing mature trees, liaising with specialist sub-contractors, where appropriate.
• maintain or improve the existing gardens, including some hard landscaping, while also undertaking new projects.  All this work will be undertaken with a great eye for detail and a passion to achieve the highest standards.
• have a detailed knowledge of the watering requirements for all plantings and manage the irrigation system to that effect.  The irrigation system is under an annual maintenance contract, although experience of minor repairs and adjustments is essential.
• Assist with the implementation of sound Health and Safety practice, machinery and equipment maintenance.  You will be able to handle a wide range of garden machinery, including tractors, mowers and chainsaws.  The ability to maintain machinery is a bonus.

Candidates will be flexible and sensitive in respecting the principles of landscape design and have the imagination to retain and adapt these as necessary. The successful candidate will be highly self-motivated, energetic and enthusiastic, with a hands-on, proactive can-do attitude, excellent time management skills and you must be willing and able to work and join in as part of the wider team on the estate.

LOCATION: Southwest London

SALARY: £45,000 – £60,000

JOB No: EC62548

If this Head Gardener vacancy is of interest, please apply or contact Sara Yassin.

Thank you for the interest you have shown in this Head Gardener vacancy.  Unfortunately, due to the high volume of applications that we receive, it is not possible to respond to every one.  Therefore, unless you hear from us within the next 14 days, your application for this Head Gardener vacancy will have been unsuccessful.