We have a fantastic opportunity for a gardener to join the teams in a fixed-term role across the Hinton portfolio to help us deliver garden restoration projects over the next 12 months.
You'll be a hands-on member of the team, involved in every aspect of gardening; this role is split between 2 gardens within one portfolio across West Sussex and Hampshire. Primarily based at Uppark, there will be plenty of opportunities to also work at Hinton Ampner
Many of our properties require us to work some weekends and bank holidays, to help us care for the garden and support the wider property teams.
What it's like to work hereReporting to our Senior Gardener at Uppark, this is an ideal role for someone who is looking to develop their career in the historic garden environment. Working alongside an experienced team of 5 horticulturalists, caring for 2 very different styles of garden, you will help bring life, colour and beauty to our gardens, and build experience in a broad spectrum of gardening skills, from machinery use to kitchen gardening. You'll be hands on, every day, working with and supervising our brilliant team of garden volunteers and helping to share your enthusiasm for this beautiful site.
Uppark was built c.1690, Today the gardens are presented in that same picturesque Repton style, including a scented garden west of the drive to evoke the designer's belief in the importance of 'olfactory joy' in any garden. The main 'amphitheatre' garden, enclosed in knapped-flint walls and tall shrubbery, shelters beds and borders containing a wide variety of flowering plants and specimen trees within fine lawns.
For wildlife and nature conservation, the garden team sympathetically manages the gardens, meadow and woodland to encourage and conserve wildlife as part of the National Trust wildlife ambitions.
Hinton Ampner is a plantsman garden, 12 acres of formal garden rooms with a diverse and exciting plant collection, it is one of the finest 20 th century gardens, comparable to Sissinghurst and Hidcote for its contributions to garden design, through the intricate use of informal planting constrained by formal hedges, lawns and topiary with stunning views out to the wider parkland and is an ideal place for you to expand and hone your horticultural skills.
What you'll be doing As a hands-on Gardener, you'll support the garden teams in making sure that the gardens are maintained to a high standard. You'll be passionate and enthusiastic about the varied plants within the gardens. This role will include a range of practical horticultural tasks to develop, enhance and conserve the garden and contribute to the delivery of projects, such as the restoration of flower borders.
You'll be helping with hard and soft landscaping and general maintenance of the garden, such as mulching, pruning, leaf clearing and weeding and will support with the planting and maintenance of trees, shrubs, and herbaceous plants.
You'll be helping to cut the hedges and mow our lawns and will also help to look after our woodland and meadow.
It is a physically demanding job and you will be using a wide range of garden machinery including mowers, strimmers and hedgecutters.
Our visitors and volunteers are a big part of what we do at Uppark. We have a great team of garden volunteers who you will support to make the most of their time here. Our visitors love our gardens, often looking for inspiration to take home with them. You'll be expected to interact with the public on a daily basis, answering their questions and sharing your passion, knowledge and enthusiasm for the site.
You can view the full role profile for this role in the document attached. You don't need to have all of the knowledge, skills and experience listed in the role profile; this is just to provide a full picture of what's possible in this role.
Who we're looking forWe'd love to hear from you if you're:
- an enthusiastic horticulturist and hands-on gardener, who's worked with hard landscaping before
- knowledgeable about plants, with a great eye for detail.
- experienced with machinery, including tractors, chainsaws, rotary and cylinder mowers, and with some knowledge of maintenance
- a driver with a full licence
- able to manage a demanding outdoor role
- good at talking to, and getting on with, all kinds of people
- equally confident working within a team, with volunteers or on your own
- able to keep to time, plan and meet deadlines
The packageThe National Trust has the motto 'For everyone, for ever' at its heart. We're working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It's important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we're for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.
• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places
