Based in Gloucestershire, Rodmarton Manor‘s 8 acre garden was designed by Ernest Barnsley, as a series of outdoor rooms – which is still the same today. The garden features a terrace, topiary, herbaceous borders, kitchen garden, parterre, shrub border, ornamental tree arboretum, topiary, wildflower meadow and cherry orchard. There is a strong architectural style close to the house, which gradually gives way to less formality and open farmland as one moves away from the house.
Despite the original layout, the garden is evolving with several new projects on the horizon. The new gardener will work closely with the family, the Head Gardener, grounds person and team of volunteers.
The ideal candidate must have entry level qualifications such as RHS level 1 or 2. This should include a good knowledge of seasonal horticultural practices including maintaining herbaceous borders, pruning techniques including topiary, kitchen gardening and plant propagation skills. They must be competent with operating a wide range of garden machinery and a spray certificate (PA1/PA6) is desirable.
The garden is open to the public from May-October, so the candidate must be able to interact well with visitors. The family now runs The Generous Gardener which organises lecture days with prominent people like Andy Sturgeon, Tom Stuart-Smith, Pippa Greenwood and Arthur Parkinson. The new gardener will be closely involved with these events.
Competitive salary – depends on experience. Applications to be sent to smbiddulph@aol.com.