Gardener

National Trust; Isleworth; On-site; GBP 3,000 - 25,000; Full time

Job summary

An environmental conservation organization is seeking a Gardener to maintain and enhance the gardens at Osterley Park. In this hands-on role, you will be responsible for daily garden maintenance tasks, ensuring visitor safety, and using various gardening machinery. The ideal candidate will have practical horticulture experience, teamwork skills, and a good understanding of plant care. This position offers a range of benefits including a substantial pension scheme, discounts, and flexible working options.

Benefits

Substantial pension scheme

Free entry to National Trust places

Rental deposit loan scheme

Season ticket loan

EV car lease scheme

Discounts on gym memberships

Up to 32 days of holiday allowance

Flexible working whenever possible

Employee assistance programme

Free parking at most Trust places

Qualifications

• Hands-on gardener with experience in hard landscaping.
• Great eye for detail regarding plant knowledge.
• Able to manage a demanding outdoor role.

Responsibilities

• Maintain the garden and park in excellent condition.
• Perform daily safety checks for visitors.
• Use machinery for tasks like mowing and pruning.

Skills

Practical horticulture and plant care

Teamwork and volunteer support

Machinery use and safety compliance

Communication and public engagement

Tools

Tractors

Chainsaws

Rotary mowers

Cylinder mowers

Job description

Summary

• Important notice
• In line with our redeployment policy, we’ll prioritise applications from employees who are under formal notice of redundancy.

As a Gardener for the National Trust, you’ll be a hands‑on member of the garden team, involved in every aspect of gardening at Osterley Park. Responsible for day‑to‑day maintenance, and the highest standards of horticulture, you’ll also play a vital role in improving the experience of visitors to the garden and wider estate.

You may be asked to work occasional weekends, bank holidays and evenings.

The advertised salary is inclusive of an Outer London weighting allowance of £3,315 per annum (prorated if you’re part‑time).

What it's like to work here

One of the last surviving country estates in London, Osterley Park and House is a vibrant attraction. The high turnover of visitors means work is fast‑paced, with the team always looking for creative ways to attract greater visitor numbers. Outdoor activities are a key focus, and the estate is part of the National Trust’s Cycle Trail project. Osterley Park enjoys a fantastic location just 20 minutes outside of London, so you can travel here by car or public transport.

Osterley Park and House also has a garden for all seasons – the gardens are divided into three areas to ensure interest all year round and are perfect if you’re looking for some garden inspiration! The urban eighteenth‑century formal gardens were restored by the National Trust to their original grandeur.

What you’ll be doing

You’ll be helping to keep the garden and park in tip‑top condition every day. This might involve daily checks to make sure all areas are safe for people visiting, routine tasks such as weeding, pruning and mulching, and using machinery such as hedge cutters, leaf blowers, lawnmowers and tractors.

You’ll also play a vital role in improving the experience of visitors to the garden and the wider estate.

The role will also include sourcing and ordering of plants & equipment as well as help with volunteer management at property.

Other duties might include propagation, cutting flowers for the house, preparing plants for sale, tree safety work and garden design and restoration. You may be involved in recycling and managing waste, along with the rest of the garden team.

Who we're looking for

Applications from redeployees are assessed against the minimum criteria for the role. In your application, please provide details of how you meet the minimum criteria below :

• Practical horticulture and plant care
• Teamwork and volunteer support
• Machinery use and safety complianceWork programme and project support
• Communication and public engagement

Criteria for all other applicants

• An enthusiastic horticulturist and hands‑on gardener, who’s worked with hard landscaping before
• Knowledgeable about plants, with a great eye for detail
• Experienced with machinery, including tractors, chainsaws, rotary and cylinder mowers, and with some knowledge of maintenance
• A driver with a full licence
• Able to manage a demanding outdoor role
• Good at talking to, and getting on with, all kinds of people
• Equally confident working within a team, with volunteers or on your own
• Able to keep to time, plan and meet deadlines

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places