Senior Gardener

To apply: email your CV & covering letter to:

You and Your Role

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 who 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 leadership and day to day horticultural operation of the Garden, reporting to the Head Gardener. This will include work planning, ensuring all work is adhered to health and safety legislation, managing a team of garden staff and volunteers.

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 for the future.

Knowledge, skills and experience needed:

(Please provide evidence in your Covering Letter and CV)

• A passion for working in a historic Garden open as a visitor attraction, bringing the story of Borde Hill to life for our visitors.

• Be passionate to care for the historical collection of plants and have the vision, with desire to look ahead at climate change, including plant selection

• Experience of managing teams and able to lead by example with demonstratable people management skills.

• Excellent knowledge of herbaceous and woody plants, propagation, cultivation and familiar with plant collection management.

• Excellent communication skills to work collaboratively with the Head Gardener, Family, and all members of the Borde Hill team; with the ability to explain horticultural procedures to students and volunteers.

• Able to be strategic in work planning, and have the ability to proactively react when work changes at a moments notice

• Proactive, organised, energetic, inclusive and enthusiastic.

• Significant practical experience, supported by appropriate qualifications to RHS level 3 (or equivalent) or qualifications such as Botanic Garden Diploma, ND, HND, B.Sc. in Horticulture.

• Understanding and experience of health and safety aspects of gardens as visitor attractions including COSHH and risk assessment procedures.

• Proven experience in the use of a wide range of specialist equipment and machinery.

• Computer literate with experience of MS Office software, and able to use databases accurately.

• A horticultural or botanical specialism would be an advantage.

• Experience of delivering horticultural or botanical courses and tours for adults, children and widening diversity and inclusion.

• Chainsaw and NPTC spraying qualifications PA1, PA6 desirable

• A full, clean driving license.

About Borde Hill

Borde Hill Garden (BHG) is a registered charity and a Grade II* listed English Heritage Garden set within 383 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 65,000 visitors each season (February-December) and offers an extensive and varied events programme.

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

Borde Hill has a small, dedicated, professional and friendly team who embody a 'one team' culture. We want to feel that everyone is valued and fairly rewarded for the work they do and your package includes:

· A Borde Hill family membership allowing free entry to the Garden and Parkland

· Discount in the Borde Hill shop and catering outlets

· Free tickets for selected events throughout the open season

· Free access at selected times to our Partner Gardens (Chelsea Physic Garden, The Newt, The Lost Gardens of Heligan, West Dean and Sculpture by the Lakes)

· Free access to our wellbeing programme of events

· A flexible working pattern where possible

· Free parking

We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all suitably qualified persons regardless of their race, sex, disability, religion/belief, sexual orientation.

Hours: 37.5hrs per week

Holiday entitlement: 32 days pro rata (including Bank Holidays)

Closing date: Friday 23rd January 2026

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: £28,500.00 per year

Benefits:

• Discounted or free food
• Employee discount
• On-site parking
• Sick pay

Licence/Certification:

• RHS level 3 or equivalent supported by practical experience (required)

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 23/01/2026