Outdoor Gardener

New England Botanic Garden•Boylston, MA

3d•$20 - $21•Onsite

About The Position

The Outdoor Gardener is a year-round, hands-on gardening position focused on maintaining New England Botanic Garden’s naturalistic outdoor garden spaces. This role involves caring for a diverse collection of garden areas using horticultural best practices and supporting special exhibitions and events, while ensuring accessibility and safety for visitors.

Requirements

Valid driver’s license, excellent driving record, and ability to drive a pickup truck.
Satisfactory completion of a criminal background check.
Must have or be able to obtain within six months of the start of employment a Massachusetts pesticide applicator (core) license
Must have or be able to obtain within one year of the start of employment a Massachusetts hoisting engineer license, HE-2A/1C

Nice To Haves

Knowledge of or interest in horticulture, native plants, or landscape design preferred.
Effective communication skills and willingness to interact with the public.

Responsibilities

Work within the Naturalistic Gardens team, under the direction of the Director of Horticulture, to maintain assigned garden areas to meet departmental horticultural standards, with an emphasis on sustainability and aesthetics.
This position works primarily outside focused on the maintenance of the following spaces: Shade Garden, Wildlife Refuge Pond, Inner Park, The Ramble, Pliny’s Allée, and the Climate Garden.
Support the aesthetic vision for assigned garden areas by assisting with planning, planting, and maintaining displays and garden improvements.
Support the Plant Recorder by providing detailed information on plant additions, removals, and relocations.
Support the Night Lights winter light event through design, installation and staffing a select number of evenings as part of a team effort.
Support cross-department initiatives, events and exhibitions as directed.
Support horticultural maintenance and installation of select outdoor gardens, including installing seasonal displays, weeding, watering deadheading, and pest and disease scouting and control.
After training, safely operating and maintaining power tools, vehicles, and other landscape equipment.
Working with individual volunteers or groups of volunteers to carry out regular garden maintenance.
Supporting snow removal operations; with training, safely operating snow throwers, salt spreaders, and other snow removal tools and equipment, expected to work during storm hours including weekends and holidays
Performing horticultural tasks include pruning, fertilizing, watering, pest and disease scouting and control, repotting, and acclimatizing plants
Supporting irrigation and hardscape maintenance and repairs.
Be welcoming to all staff and the public and respectful of staff differences and preferences.
Use gender-neutral communication styles and respect everyone’s pronouns.
Attend Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Accessibility (IDEA) workshops and training sessions.
Work with an awareness of surroundings in accordance with NEBG safety policies.
Complies with the provisions of the current Employee Handbook, all published personnel policies, and the requirements of the job description.
Perform other duties as assigned.