Gardener, Horatio\'s Garden - Midlands

Salary: £30,000 FTE

Location: The Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries, The Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, Gobowen, Oswestry

Contract type/hours: Permanent, 2 days a week

Closing date: 28 January 2026

We’re looking for a talented, enthusiastic Gardener to join our team at Horatio’s Garden, Midlands to help nurture and develop one of the region’s most exciting and ambitious hospital gardens, designed by Bunny Guinness.

Horatio’s Garden is a nationwide charity creating and nurturing beautifully designed gardens in NHS’s spinal injury centres. The Gardener will work alongside the Head Gardener to help care for the garden and support the patients who use it. This is an incredible opportunity to work in a thriving, vibrant garden that changes lives by providing a sanctuary for patients, visitors, and staff alike.

The fully accessible garden has been beautifully designed and includes a water feature and a large garden room to give patients a warm sheltered place to enjoy the garden in all weather. There is a large glasshouse and an area of raised beds for growing edible and ornamental plants with patients and a dedicated office space.

Together with the Head Gardener, you will work with a team of garden volunteers to nurture the beautiful space for patients and their visitors. You will also help run garden tours and assist with events in the garden.

What You’ll Do

• Manage & Inspire: Help manage a dedicated team of gardening volunteers, sharing your knowledge, passion and creativity to nurture both people and plants.
• Design & Curate: You’ll work closely with the Head Gardener and designer Bunny Guinness to evolve the garden with flair and ensure there is all year round interest.
• Cultivate Excellence: From contemporary borders and the woodland garden, to raised beds and the glasshouse — you’ll ensure everything flourishes to the highest horticultural standards.
• Champion Sustainability: Be a driving force in eco-conscious gardening, water management and biodiversity initiatives.

This role is a fantastic opportunity for a confident, experienced gardener with an interest in gardens and wellbeing, and a passion for people as well as plants. If you think you would thrive with us, we want to hear from you.

Who You Are

Essential

• A seasoned horticulturalist with RHS Level 2 qualification or equivalent hands-on experience
• Excellent plant knowledge with experience of various propagation methods, cultivation techniques and plant health monitoring
• Practical experience in the use of specialist horticultural tools and equipment
• Proven volunteer management skills with a knack for inspiring and motivating others
• Demonstrate an understanding of health and safety aspects of public gardens
• A brilliant communicator with the ability to foster positive working relationships
• Interest in wellbeing benefits of gardens

Desirable

• RHS Level 3 Horticultural qualification
• A professional and confident public speaker, with the ability to lead garden tours in the absence of the Head Gardener
• Experience of using social media to promote activities and events

Qualities

• Flexible and able to adapt to changing priorities
• Empathetic and kind
• Self-motivated and capable of working with the minimum of direction but understanding the limits of your knowledge and able to seek advice when required
• Able to meet the physical demands of the role

What We Offer

• The chance to work in one of the region’s most talked-about gardens
• A talented, supportive team who love what they do
• Access to training, workshops and horticultural events
• Opportunity to shape and evolve a garden that tells a story

As a Charity we are committed to creating and promoting a culture that protects and preserves the welfare of the vulnerable people in our care. Our safer recruitment practices support this by ensuring that there is a consistent and thorough process of obtaining and evaluating information from and about candidates including criminal record checks, to ensure that all persons appointed are suitable to work for our Charity.

Application

Please write a one page covering letter, explaining why you would be suited to this role and send this along with your CV to.

We are an equal opportunity employer and welcome applications from all sectors of society.

NOTE: DBS, medical and reference checks will be conducted as part of the recruitment process.