About the Role

As a Gardener, you will work on the development and maintenance of the garden and accompanying grounds. You will work with our Head Gardener but will be required to work efficiently on your own as well.

Wage:

• £15,600 for your first year, then could increase depending on your age
• National Minimum Wage rate for apprentices

Minimum wage rates

Training Course:

• Horticulture or landscape construction operative (level 2)

Hours:

• Monday - Friday, 8.30am - 4.30pm. Lunch break length: 30 minutes.
• 37 hours 30 minutes a week

Start Date:

• Monday 3 August 2026

Duration:

• 2 years

Positions Available:

• 1

What You'll Do at Work

• Maintenance and development of beds and borders
• Planting of new perennials, bulbs, and any shrubs
• Weeding, mulching, and digging over of beds
• Tidying beds and containers situated around the Main House
• Maintaining and training climbers and wall shrubs
• Cutting back perennials
• Propagation of planting stock of all types of plants
• Irrigation of glasshouses and borders
• Pruning and training shrubs and young trees in particular the apple trees in the walled garden
• Vegetable and fruit growing
• General leaf blowing in the autumn
• Maintenance of hedges, paths and courtyards
• Maintenance of lawn including feeding and scarifying
• Ensuring the gardeners’ buildings and surrounding areas are kept tidy and safe
• Dealing with garden machinery

Where You'll Work

• Private Estate, Ockham, GU23 6NQ

Training

Apprenticeships include time away from working for specialist training. You’ll study to gain professional knowledge and skills.

Training Provider:

• ACTIVATE LEARNING

Training Course:

• Horticulture or landscape construction operative (level 2)

Understanding apprenticeship levels

What You'll Learn

Course Contents

Core:

• Apply health and safety processes and procedures including risk assessments and or construction design management (CDM), manual handling, legislative requirements and organisational policies. Follow safe systems of work and safety information in line with employer requirements or site context (for example clearing their route before transporting materials).
• Apply environmental mitigation measures including storage and disposal of waste, for example sorting materials for recycling or composting, acting in compliance with legal requirements, organisational policies and pollution controls.
• Select, undertake a pre start check, set up, clean, store and safely operate tools, equipment and machinery (including pedestrian controlled and handheld) in line with current legislation and business policies.
• Communicate with technical (for example supervisors or managers) and non-technical audiences (for example clients or the public) using language appropriate to the audience.
• Identify plants commonly grown in the UK by scientific names including genus species and or cultivar.
• Maintain the correct phytosanitary and bio-security procedures for the site, in accordance with legal requirements.
• Identify and report symptoms and or signs of commonly found UK plant pests, pathogens and disorders.
• Maintain plant health for example providing for basic needs such as water, nutrition (either organic or inorganic), light.
• Cultivate, improve and preserve soils by mechanical methods and or by hand including amelioration and mulching (these might be imported or natural).
• Clear unwanted vegetation, selecting techniques to be used (for example weeding).
• Remove unwanted or damaged growth from plants using a pruning cut.
• Plant shrubs and a tree using a simple tree pit.
• Install turf for situation.
• Mow turf using pedestrian controlled powered driven mower.
• Maintain or protect hard surfaces, features or structures for example painting, re-gravelling, removing weeds from paving, drain clearance, cleaning.
• Use digital tools and techniques for research, collaboration, continuous professional development and resolution of problems.