Chelsea Physic Garden: Horticultural Trainee

The Chelsea Physic Garden is looking to recruit a Horticultural trainee to work alongside the team ofexperienced gardeners and volunteers, learning skills relevant to botanical and amenity horticulture.

Chelsea Physic Garden, London, UK

A teaching garden since 1673, the Chelsea Physic Garden is one of the oldest and most respected botanic gardens in Europe. It is the oldest in London, and only surpassed in age, in England, by Oxford Botanic Garden. The garden is managed by the independent Chelsea Physic Garden charity set up in 1983, to promote and preserve the four-acre garden.

As a horticultural trainee at the Chelsea Physic Garden, you will have the opportunity to gain practical horticultural experience both outdoors and inside the glasshouses while working in the botanic garden with a diverse plant collection. A practical position, the job training allows you to hone horticultural skills and practice.

Made possible thanks to the support of the Rick Mather David Scrase Foundation, the paid traineeship allows for the trainee to study for the RHS Level 2 Certificate in the Principles of Horticulture (or comparable formal qualification. The candidate will also be offered the opportunity to study for and take the PA1 and PA6a Safe Use of Pesticides qualification. You will also benefit from Plant identification assessments and complete a Trainee Project in the Garden.

The traineeship is aimed at candidates with a basic level of professional or voluntary experience in maintenance gardening or similar. Applicants should enjoy working physically in all weathers with early starts.

  • Position: 18 month fixed term contract
  • Contract: Full-time (average 35 hour week with occasional weekend working)
  • Salary: £25,201.
  • Closing date: 6th of April, 11.59pm.
  • First interviews: week commencing 28th of April

Full job and application details can be found here.