Gardener Job - Rawdon Leeds West Yorkshire - summer 2025 start - £40,000 GPA
A wonderful opportunity has arisen for an experienced Gardener with strong horticultural skills to look after a hidden gem of a garden in Rawdon, Leeds. Tucked away on the South facing side of a river valley, this 6 acre property with its mature 2 acre garden would offer an experienced Gardener who is passionate about their work, the opportunity to not only continue the high standards of maintenance of the existing garden, but also have significant input into developing the garden further. The property is within an easy commuting distance from Harrogate, Leeds and Halifax areas.
The property itself totals 6 acres, including 4 acres of maintained paddock and woodland which also includes a section of public footpath and c150m of a river bank. The main garden comprises 2 acres of more formal mature Victorian garden wrapping around the main house. Key features include extensive herbaceous borders, a cut flower garden, vegetable plots, orchard, rose beds, wide variety of mature trees, extensive lawns, wild flower meadow, two courtyard spaces requiring seasonal pots, 14-meter Alitex glass house and a Victorian pond and rockery. There is also a dedicated Estate Yard building housing gardener’s workshop for tool/equipment storage, kitchen, toilet facilities, office space and parking.
You will be working alongside a full-time Groundsman who is responsible for the lawns, hedge cutting, tree maintenance, leaf and compost management, machinery maintenance (including John Deere Gator and tractor) and hard landscaping. The groundsman also works closely with the Gardener, taking instruction and assisting as and where needed.
The role requires a Gardener who has excellent plant knowledge and horticultural skills and qualifications (including PA1 and PA6 spraying certificates and horticultural qualifications at least to RHS Level 3). You will need to be able to engage regularly with the property owners, who are passionate about the property and, whilst not gardeners themselves, take a keen interest in everything garden-related. Plans are already in place to redevelop the pond and rockery area this year and so it would be an advantage if the Gardener has experience with developing planting schemes for landscaped areas.
Duties will include:
- Hands on maintenance and development of the formal garden
- Care of extensive rose beds including spraying and pruning
- Undertaking regular gardening tasks such as weeding, mulching, planting, pruning, deadheading, fertilising, and watering
- Maintenance of seasonal pots for main house and Lodge House
- Care of the cut flower garden and providing flowers for
- Care of the vegetable garden, again providing produce for the house
- Propagation for both vegetable garden and cut flower garden
- Wild flower meadow management and maintenance
- Fruit tree and shrub pruning
- Sourcing and procurement of seeds, bulbs, plants and garden sundries as required
- Pest and disease management in glasshouse and wider garden
- Working with and instructing the Groundsman with regards to weekly tasks
It is planned that there will be a handover period with the current Gardener who is only leaving due to relocation..
The client will wait for the right candidate but would ideally like to have someone start during the summer months.
Full-time role – Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week. Salary c£40,000 GPA.