Job Opening: Full-Time Seasonal Horticulturist / Gardening Team Leader

We are looking for an experienced horticulturist to lead and work with a fine gardening team to provide organic gardening and grounds maintenance for our clients, whose gardens and landscapes come in all sizes.

You will use your in-depth horticultural experience to develop a garden care plan and maintain a garden journal for each property, identify and remedy plant problems, and plan your team’s work week. You will be our on-site representative in case the client has any questions or concerns. You may also be called on to provide gardening instruction and mentoring to selected clients.

The gardening team leader will also provide other team members with guidance on proper plant care, daily goals and tasks, and horticultural instruction, if necessary. During planting installations you will be asked to educate the planting crew in the best ways to plant under the project’s particular site conditions.

Your gardening tasks will include weeding, mulching, planting, deadheading, pruning, watering, fertilization, and pest control.

Primary tasks with regard to:

Garden

• Oversee, identify and maintain diverse plantings of trees, shrubs, vines, perennials, grasses, and bulbs on client sites
• Oversee, manage and monitor irrigation of plantings, especially during time of establishment and drought
• Perform seasonal landscape work including pruning, clean-ups, bulb planting, dividing and transplanting, leaf removal, weeding and any other garden chore related to maintaining planting beds and landscapes commensurate with Terrascapes Mission, along with any seasonal gardeners on client sites.
• Develop and document, report, and catalog plant and site-related information in client garden journal
• Observe and determine the need for fertilizers, soil amendments, and mineral additives and apply as needed
• Identify diseased plants and pest infestation and take proper corrective measures commensurate with the Mission of Terrascapes and as regulated under Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources’ Pesticide Board. Keep current and report license # to administration when available
• May gather, grow, and maintain special plant materials
• Inspects for and eliminates hazards in gardening areas
• May perform special floral decorating duties for special client events.
• Plant shopping and delivery to client site
• Operate & minor repair power gardening equipment such as edgers, trimmers, blowers, sprayers, and cultivators
• Make minor repairs and adjustments to sprinkler systems
• Adjusts and performs minor maintenance on power gardening equipment, gardening tools, and all types of sprinkler systems
• Learn the characteristics of new equipment in the field of gardening and grounds maintenance and update skills to adapt to changing technology
• Follow “Terrascapes Best Practices” outlined in the Terrascapes Horticulture Handbook. The Handbook is always being updated and revised so coordinating with the Horticulturist/Garden Educator on staff is commensurate with Terrascapes’ efforts towards maintaining a collaborative team

Personnel

• Assist with training and support seasonal gardeners and interns
• Supervision, managing, conflict resolution and personnel scheduling for any Full-Time or Part-Time gardeners on client sites.
• Planning, scheduling, reporting employee hours as noted in the employee manual.
• Determine most efficient work procedures and techniques for assigned staff to ensure timely completion of work projects
• Make sure that safety standards and procedures are followed
• Provide leadership and technical assistance to others

Management

• Assist in coordinating and scheduling gardening work in connection with client events
• Participate in any training or enrichment programs offered by Terrascapes
• Actively promote and contribute to Terrascapes’ sustainability initiatives in landscape residential management
• Learn general and specialized software applications

Requirements:

• Two or more years horticultural experience and an in-depth knowledge and experience in horticultural best practices and in the seasonal care and maintenance of woody and herbaceous plants of New England.
• Completion of courses in horticulture, botany, plant propagation, or other plant related fields a plus.
• Own vehicle and have a valid MA state drivers license
• Computer literate
• Able to lift 40lbs
• Must be a team-player, willing to collaborate on any and all tasks required for maintaining the highest standards of landscape management and operations.

About Terrascapes

Terrascapes is a fine gardening firm offering expert horticultural services with a focus on organic gardening. We are partners with our customers, our staff, our community and our environment. Our goal is to use horticulturally correct practices that are good for plants, local water systems, soil, and ultimately the planet. We service areas in the MetroWest region of Boston, MA.