The Trust

Flower Gardener

Chiswick House and Gardens Trust (CHGT) seeks a Flower Gardener to plan and manage our cut flowers for sale and donation: our commitment is to donate at least as much produce as we sell.

Working with the garden team, including a Community Kitchen Gardener, Kitchen Gardener and Kitchen Garden Apprentice, you will focus on growing flowers, looking after the kitchen garden flower plots and borders, adding volume and diversity to what we are able to sell and donate locally.

You will work with the team, leading cutting, conditioning, preparation, arranging and sales with a dedicated team of talented volunteers, using their knowledge and enthusiasm to improve and enhance what we are able to achieve. You will work in our historic, 2.5 acre walled kitchen garden contributing to its role as a well-loved community garden and visitor attraction and as needed, support our work in the Grade 1 Listed wider gardens. 

For full job description and to apply

The organisation 

Chiswick House and Gardens Trust (CHGT) cares for 65-acre Grade-I registered gardens, a 2-acre Kitchen Garden and 1,800 trees, surrounding a 300-year-old Grade-I listed historic house, in the heart of London Borough of Hounslow (LBH), West London. The gardens are free to visit and open every day, welcoming more than 825,000 to 1 million visits annually. We play a vital role in the community.  

Key responsibilities:

  • Planning and delivering the growing flowers and managing flower borders against targets, keeping records 
  • Working with the kitchen garden team to care for and improve our kitchen garden, increasing diversity and volume of produce, improving visitor experience and providing a safe, enjoyable space for community groups 
  • Managing and supporting a group of volunteers to enable the growing, cutting and preparation of flowers for sale and donation 
  • Working to deliver our community programme: leading tasks, demonstrating techniques, working with facilitators and group leaders 
  • Exploring opportunities to further engage our visitors with our growing spaces, including ‘behind the scenes’ areas 
  • Playing a key role on the garden team – supporting projects, encouraging new techniques, sharing ideas, delivering garden maintenance workload 
  • Working as one the Chiswick House and Gardens Trust staff team to develop, improve, promote and conserve our property.

Person specification:

You will love growing flowers, making a beautiful, nature-rich garden, working as part of team and being part of a project to improve and enhance a community space in a historic setting.  

You will: 

  • Have experience of growing flowers, providing volume and quality, maximising space and the growing season backed up by RHS Level 2 qualifications (or equivalent) 
  • Be committed to working organically, learning and trialling new techniques and sharing your experience easily 
  • Understand gardens as aesthetic spaces that provide beauty and a haven and want to increase your ability to enhance these growing areas for all those that visit them 
  • Have excellent organisation skills with attention to detail, able to prioritise and work under time pressure 
  • Be able to work effectively, adapt and use your initiative in response to the day-to-day operation and pre-empt and respond to the needs of your colleagues including volunteers, your community partners and visitors 
  • Have a ‘can do attitude’ and personal drive, with a willingness to ‘go the extra mile’ to exceed expectations 
  • Excellent presentation, communication, listening and interpersonal skills 
  • Good level of IT literacy.  
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, experience of working with diverse local audiences with varying learning and communications needs 
  • Knowledge, understanding and enthusiasm for historic gardens, community gardens, working as part of a visitor attraction. 

How to apply:  

Application is by CV (no more than 2 pages) and a cover letter (no more than 1 page) outlining the reasons for your interest in the post and why you believe yourself to be suitable, and how you would propose working to fulfil this role. Applications should be sent to info@chgt.org.uk with the subject title KG24. Please include your full contact details including daytime and evening telephone numbers.   

Please provide details of two referees who know your employment and your work. For shortlisted candidates, references will be taken up prior to interview unless you advise that you do not wish us to do so.  

Deadline: Closing date for applications is 12pm Monday 5 February. 

For full job description and to apply