Just wondering if there are any full time "employed" gardeners working at a large private garden somewhere that could give me some advise.
I'm about to start a new career as a full time employed gardener looking after a 25 acre property with 3 acres of mature garden. It's been a dream of mine to work somewhere like this and I've only ever done a self emloyed garden maintenance round. Two hours per customer per week. So this will be a big change for me. Something I'm 100% looking forward to. Especially once I saw the garden for the first time.
I'm trying to plan and schedule tasks. Would it be better if I wait till day one to start working on what and when? Or should I get a feel of the garden and wait for the owner to tell me what they want doing first?
I've visited the garden a couple of times recently and got a good feel of it. Walked round with the owner first time, got some idea of what they expect. There are other jobs the owner requires me to do outside of tending to the garden. So there is an extensive list of jobs to keep me busy all year.
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at first let the owner tell you what they want till you get a feel then you can suggest changes ect later. it depends what is in the garden and do you hav to look after the other 22 acres.
i used to look after 2 acres 16 hours a week did not cut the grass appart from a small area that the ride on could not do and edged up the rest,used to do the topery, box hedges,herbaceous boarders and various hedges 10 to 20 ft tall somtimes needed extra hours for that. there were some large mature trees seemed for ever clearing up the leaves and transporting to the compost bins then empting them. ponds to clear out never realy got in front with the garden could have done with a extra day realy
Thanks for your help. I'll take all what you have said on board. My role will be basically 8-5, 5 days a week. So very different to what I'm used to.
I've never worked full time at a garden like that, but have had my people at several such gardens for a day a week, so that would be simillar. Every owner is different. The 2 current ones are very different, one really hasnt got a clue, the other has always got "ideas" - for instance last night at 9 he was messaging saying could I moss treat the tennis court this week - well I think (and told him) that it is too wet, and not reliably warm enough for the moss killer to work - we've agreed to leave it a month or so.
THere are other things that you will see and know need doing.. If its anything structural I'd check with the owners before you do it. I've got in trouble for removing ivy off walls and dead trees that apparently "looked pretty".
I still keep and share a list with each owner, things:
After a few months they will get a feel fo what you do, and you a feel for their interest/involvement/willingness to spend on kit or plants - after a season you will have the basic list for the following year
Good luck
Thanks for your help. I'll take all what you have said on board. My role will be basically 8-5, 5 days a week. So very different to what I'm used to.
Sounds good Tony, a combination of working to the owner's instructions plus using your own initiative might work best. To begin with, maybe focus on the outdoor areas nearest the house and the entrance / driveway so that those most noticeable parts are looking top notch. Even fine details like pulling a few weeds out or neatly trimming a few bushes, blowing some untidy fallen leaves etc. to make an instant improvement and good first impression with the new employer. Once they can see you know what you're doing and using your time effectively, they will relax a bit. As Adam mentions, if they come out with seasonally unsuitable ideas, gently suggest alternative timings for such work. A lot depends on the personality and expectations of the owner. Setting boundaries from day one if possible. Some of these jobs can end up becoming a general dogs body, chauffeur, etc. etc. . Being forced to re-paint the house whilst looking through the window at the garden getting out of control
Hi Tony are you taking over from a previous employee , contractors or is this a new role created by your employers ?
I had a similar role which lasted over Twenty years on a Five acre estate , Three acres of which was wild with a lake which also had to be managed .
I prioritised on the ornamental areas nearest the property and there were never any complaints you soon get into a routine and create a blueprint .
The job spec was varied it included non gardening tasks such as security ,airport runs ,indoor DIY ,cleaning gutters ,animal care ,machine maintenance and choosing replacement machinery .
I never complained ,just kept my head down and did my best for which I enjoyed a good salary and job satisfaction .
Dotted around the Area were Two other estates which employed full time gardeners who I knew well .
Their roles were almost identical but with varying levels of job satisfaction .
I always liked the job variation and was lucky employers expressed appreciation never taking anything for granted but all situations have an element of dysfunction especially when they are employing you full time in their home
Many a time I would be operating a machine early morning and would get my head torched if they were on the phone or in need of some peace and quiet .
I hope it's a positive move for you Tony . All the best .
Thanks John, it's exactly how you described it. I'll be taking over from their current gardener, who finishes on the 2nd Feb. He has kind of explained what he does but he has only been there since October, so not had much involvement in the garden. The gardener before him was there for 5 years and although he knew what he was doing, he was a bit slap dash. Rather than hand prune roses with secateurs he'd use a strimmer. Or he'd over plant a bed and everything would get crowded out. Or he'd grow veg in the kitchen garden no one would eat. All that and the owners would rave about him.
I understand that there will be some things they and I won't agree with. But that's life.
Tony, reading between the lines there will be two sides to the story, re. the gardener who was there 5 years! Perhaps there was not time for hand pruning in some cases due to the myriad tasks he had to deal with. He had no option but to cut corners to stay on top of it all. I doubt he used an actual strimmer to prune roses, most likely a hedge trimmer. Not a problem on big bush type roses or those semi climbing types which are a mass of stems and can be reduced by cutting big chunks off. I do it myself, its like having 50 pairs of sharp secateurs cutting several times per second. If handled with skill the roses are not harmed at all. Maybe a bit of secateur work to tidy afterwards. As for over-planting beds, maybe he was aiming for instant effect to please the client, rather than big gaps in between the plants before they established. This practice is rife, you see it everywhere from newly built supermarkets upwards. Because if you don't over-plant there are complaints about it looking sparse. And if some plants die it looks even worse. As for the veg garden, yes there are un-eateable seasonal "gluts", and in all honesty the owners probably found harvesting, washing and preparing the veg too much trouble. Sounds like he was doing the job to the owner's satisfaction anyway !
Hi
I work on large properties and have worked full time on a estate in the past. I always take a quick walk around the property just to check nothing has happened then I prioritize what needs to be done first and plan out the rest of the day. If you have a shed you can use a yearly planer is immensely useful, eg spraying box moth caterpillars , scarification etc it's so easy to lose track of time when you're there every day, good communication with the client is always important and yes they are going to say and do things which will have you banging your head on a tree but make sure everything that is said is put in a text or email because sure as eggs is eggs they will deny they ever said that.
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