What are the responsibilities and job description for the Lead Horticulturist position at Natural Lands?
Natural Lands, a vibrant, regional, nonprofit organization and leader in land conservation, natural resource stewardship, and public engagement, seeks a Lead Horticulturist to join the professional garden staff at Stoneleigh: a natural garden.
Located in Villanova, PA, Stoneleigh: a natural garden is a 42-acre former private estate that opened as a public garden in May of 2018. We are reimagining the historic landscape by creating gardens that are beautiful, biodiverse, and vital to our local ecology, with native plants as the foundation. Stoneleigh: a natural garden is open Tuesday through Sunday at no charge to visitors. The garden also hosts house tours and events.
Primary Responsibilities:
- Supervise Horticulturists and summer interns, ensure successful execution of plans and work goals, and provide training in proper horticultural techniques.
- In conjunction with the Garden Manager, coordinate weekly garden tasks such as scheduling and planning.
- Facilitate and implement landscape projects, horticultural tasks, greenhouse and nursery production, and garden maintenance in collaboration with the Stoneleigh horticulture team.
- Perform horticultural duties such as pruning, planting, weeding, mowing, brush hogging, mulching, snow removal, etc.
- Manage turf and meadow program and coordinate with the appropriate contactors.
- Implement integrated pest management program; monitor and inspect plants for health deficiencies and problems, ascertain proper corrective measures and apply appropriate pesticides, herbicides, fertilizers, plant selections, and cultural practices.
- With managerial approval, source, procure and purchase plants and supplies.
- Participate in plant collections management by assisting with research and selection of new plant material, installing accession tags, inventorying beds, documenting associated database information, etc.
- Operate tractors, trucks, mini-excavators, lifts, and other heavy machinery. Also operate standard garden equipment such as chainsaws, blowers, mowers, and tillers, and perform heavy lifting as required.
- Lead tours and assist with garden events, classes, volunteers, and membership activities.
- Facilitate work with contractors and consultants as necessary.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
