Gardener – VacancyThe King’s FoundationThe King’s Foundation is a charity founded by King Charles III and was first formed in 1990. Inspired by the vision and values of His Majesty, the Foundation focuses on creating better communities where people, places and the planet can coexist in harmony.The charity offers education courses for over 15,000 students annually, health and wellbeing programmes for nearly 2,000 people every year, and spearheads placemaking and regeneration projects in the UK and overseas to revitalise communities and historic buildings.The King’s Foundation is headquartered at its flagship regeneration project, Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, and acts as custodian of other historic Royal sites including the Castle of Mey in Caithness, Scotland, and Highgrove Gardens in Gloucestershire, which are open to visitors. The Foundation also carries out its work at educational and cultural hubs in London, based at The King’s Foundation School for Traditional Arts in Shoreditch, Trinity Buoy Wharf on the River Thames and the Garrison Chapel in Chelsea.The work of The King’s Foundation is underpinned by our Founder His Majesty The King’s philosophy of harmony: that by understanding the balance, the order and the relationships between ourselves and the natural world we can create a more sustainable future. We have a diverse and inclusive workplace, creating a welcoming, safe space for everyone. This means that every member of our team can bring their whole self to work. We encourage qualified applicants from a wide range of backgrounds to apply to and join The King’s Foundation and bring their valuable skills and experiences.The Foundation is committed to the equal treatment of all current and prospective employees, including the provision of workplace adjustments. We do not tolerate discrimination based on protected characteristics (age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, pregnancy and maternity, race or ethnicity, religion or belief, gender identity, or marriage and civil partnership) or other difference such as socio-economic background or social origin.Highgrove GardensHighgrove Garden is a highly renowned garden, described as one of the most inspiring and innovative garden in the UK. Created and developed by His Majesty since 1980 the garden is managed organically and includes a variety of garden features and areas including a walled kitchen garden, a thyme walk, topiary and formal hedging, a terrace garden, cottage garden, wildflower meadows, Island beds, an arboretum, woodland garden and various water features.The RoleAs a member of the Garden team at Highgrove, you will play an integral role in maintaining the highest horticultural and presentation standards across the estate. You will contribute to the care, development, and enhancement of the gardens, working in line with organic and sustainable principles.Key ResponsibilitiesYour duties will include, but are not limited to:
Carrying out practical horticultural tasks such as mowing, hedge-cutting, weeding, mulching, planting, and border cultivation, ensuring all work meets organic and sustainability standards.
Maintaining extensive herbaceous plantings, including dead-heading, staking, tying-in, division, feeding, and watering.
Supporting the Kitchen Garden team when required in the production of fruit and vegetables.
Undertaking topiary trimming, maintenance, and development.
Carrying out high-access work to maintain elevated features.
Ensuring all tools and machinery are used safely, properly maintained, and correctly stored.
Assisting Senior Gardeners with the planning of maintenance routines, day-to-day tasks, and reporting progress.
Supervising and supporting volunteers, work experience students, trainees, and, at times, other gardeners.
Complying with all Health & Safety regulations, taking responsibility for your own safety and that of others, including the safe and compliant use of garden machinery.
Engaging in CPD (Continuing Professional Development) opportunities to enhance skills and knowledge.
The essential skills, knowledge and experience required are:
Previous practical experience in a high quality garden open to the public (3+ years)
NVQ Level 2 or higher or equivalent level of vocational experience/training in amenity horticulture
Full, manual driving licence
Excellent plant identification and maintenance knowledge
Experience working in a range of horticultural settings such as ornamental borders, meadow, arboretum and vegetable garden
Understand current health and safety legislation
Good oral and written communication skills
Good organisational skills and the proven ability to prioritise own work
Ability to maintain confidentiality at all times and exercise discretion
Desirable Criteria:
Competent in the use and care for a wide range of machinery and equipment
Range of machinery certificates
Experience of working to organic principles
Other:
The post will be based at Highgrove Gardens, Doughton, Tetbury, GL8 8TN with the requirement to travel on occasion.
Your working hours will be 40 hours per week plus extra weekend watering and operational duties that are required on a rota/seasonal basis.
You must have the legal right to work in the UK.
This job involves strenuous physical activity including soil cultivation, plant establishment, maintenance and the use of a range of powered machinery.
Lunch provided daily
Certified training and development provided
Salary:Competitive Salary DOEApplications: Please submit a cover letter and CV to hr.recruitment@kings-foundation.org.Closing date for applications: Monday 29th September 2025This private advert is being managed directly by the employer. English Country Gardeners are not involved in the hiring process and are therefore unable to share any additional information on this role. If you have any questions regarding this position, the best course of action is to apply for the job which will open a line of communication with the employer.If you would like to view more information on the Professional Gardeners Guild, please click and the Royal Horticultural Society, please clickFor more gardener roles please clickTagged as: Doughton, Gardener, Gloucestershire, Highgrove Gardens, Tetbury
