Assistant Horticulturist - Outdoor Gardens

About the role

The Assistant Horticulturist supports the day-to-day maintenance, care and presentation of outdoor gardens, landscapes and living plant collections. Working under the direction of the Horticulturist, the role covers planting, pruning, plant health, irrigation, pest management and general garden maintenance, as well as plant identification, collection records, Integrated Pest Management (IPM) and the safe use and maintenance of horticultural tools and equipment.

Key responsibilities

• Support planting, pruning, watering, weeding, mulching, fertilisation, deadheading, staking and general garden maintenance.
• Assist with establishing, replacing and maintaining trees, shrubs, groundcovers, herbaceous plants and seasonal displays.
• Monitor plant health and identify pests, diseases, nutrient deficiencies, water stress and other environmental issues.
• Support IPM, including monitoring, preventative measures and control activities.
• Assist with soil preparation, amendments, mulching and fertilisation.
• Support irrigation and watering and report signs of over- or under-watering.
• Assist with plant identification, labelling, inventory and maintenance of plant collection records and databases.
• Maintain high horticultural, aesthetic and presentation standards across outdoor garden areas.

Required profile

• Bachelor's degree in Horticulture, Botany, Plant Sciences or a related discipline.
• Minimum 3 years of relevant professional experience in outdoor horticulture, garden management or landscape maintenance.
• Experience with trees, shrubs, groundcovers, herbaceous plants and seasonal displays, and with plant identification, pests, diseases and IPM.
• Experience with plant labelling, inventory, collection records and basic horticultural databases is desirable.
• Previous experience in a botanic garden, public garden, arboretum, nursery, major landscape or comparable setting is preferred.

Required skills

• Practical horticultural and plant-care skills, and plant identification and basic plant-health assessment.
• Understanding of IPM principles and safe use of horticultural tools and equipment.
• Attention to detail, accurate record-keeping and organisational skills.
• Additional training or certification in horticulture, plant identification, IPM or irrigation is advantageous.