Seasonal Gardener

Job Purpose

The purpose of this position is to assist in the maintenance of Monticello’s gardens and landscape features, to ensure a professional horticultural presentation, and to preserve a historic plant collection.

Essential Functions

• Assists in the maintenance of the flower, vegetable, and fruit garden: planting, watering, weeding, staking, edging, pruning, fertilizing, harvesting seeds, harvesting produce, sowing seeds, cleaning and packaging seeds, amending soil, planting bulbs, moving potted specimen plants, labeling, mulching, etc.
• Performs occasional grounds maintenance activities, such as blowing and raking leaves, collecting branches, mowing turf grass, string-trimming, spreading mulch, removing trees, clearing out woodlands, maintaining shrubberies, shoveling snow, and operating power equipment such as lawn mowers, tillers, tractors, etc.
• Assists with research projects and public programming.
• Assists with general maintenance, landscaping, Gardens and Grounds projects, and other projects as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills And Abilities

• Basic understanding of horticulture and grounds maintenance including knowledge of garden plants, soils and fertilizers, weed control, watering techniques, pruning techniques, plant propagation, use of common garden tools, etc.
• Manual dexterity to safely and efficiently perform horticultural tasks, such as seed sowing, seed collection, pruning and training plants, transplanting, watering, fertilizing, and spraying.
• Ability to safely operate vehicles, hand tools and power equipment.
• Strong communication skills and the ability to provide information to visitors and engage positively with colleagues.
• Active learning capabilities, including asking questions, offering suggestions, seeking clarification, problem solving, etc.

Position Requirements

• Reliability and commitment to a set schedule.
• Physical Demands: Position requires working for long periods in very sunny, hot, humid, windy, and rainy conditions performing manual tasks that require kneeling, bending, reaching, stretching, and lifting up to 50lbs.
• Requires a driver’s license and reliable transportation to and from work.

Education

A high school diploma is required.