Allt y Bela: Head Gardener

An experienced Head Gardener with a passion for plants is sought to join garden designer Arne Maynard and the wider estate team at Allt y Bela, a private Grade II-listed property in Monmouthshire, South Wales, helping to care for the estate’s celebrated gardens while contributing to their long-term evolution.

Working closely with Arne Maynard and the wider estate team, the successful candidate will play a leading role in the stewardship and continued development of this celebrated private garden. The ideal candidate will combine outstanding horticultural knowledge with a genuine passion for plants and a keen interest in conservation, biodiversity and regenerative land management.

The gardens at Allt y Bela cover approximately five acres and include the garden surrounding the main house, two rental cottage gardens, wildflower meadows, topiary, roses, cut flowers, perennial borders, fruit and vegetable areas, and riverside and woodland gardens. The gardens sit within a 165-acre SSSI estate, which is currently under conservation management and grazing. There is an opportunity for the gardener to become involved in the ongoing enhancement of the wider landscape.

The role

The Head Gardener will be responsible for maintaining the gardens to an exceptional standard while contributing to their continued evolution. Responsibilities include:

• To manage overall care and maintenance of the gardens to an exceptionally high standard
• Assist garden creator and owner, Arne Maynard, in ongoing development of the gardens, demonstrating initiative with ideas on how to enhance and develop the garden whilst ensuring the highest quality maintenance of existing areas
• Oversee planting, pruning and weeding of the garden, which is regularly used for garden tours and events
• Adopting organic principles wherever possible, continue to improve soil health and growing conditions for plants throughout the gardens, including creating own supply of compost and garden mulch and managing seasonal regimes for suppressing known garden pests and diseases
• Grow seasonal vegetables, salads, fruit and cut flowers for the house and rental properties
• Lead garden tours and talks with confidence, occasionally alongside Arne Maynard and his team
• Provide regular written and photographic garden updates for Arne Maynard when he is travelling abroad for client visits
• Maintain photographic and written records of the garden and its seasonal development and growth

Wider opportunities

In addition to managing the gardens at Allt y Bela, the role offers opportunities to become involved in the wider activities of Arne Maynard Garden Design (AMGD). This may include supporting Arne Maynard and the design team on client site visits, contributing to the planting design process and the setting out of gardens, mentoring gardeners working at AMGD client gardens or delivering mentoring and training days at Allt y Bela, and supporting the evolution of garden projects by sharing horticultural expertise, technical knowledge and practical experience with Arne Maynard and the studio team.

Day-to-day responsibilities

Regular and daily tasks will involve planning and monitoring, including but not limited to:

• Planning and prioritising weekly work programmes with consideration of forecast weather conditions in collaboration with Arne Maynard and the estate team.
• Pruning, dead heading, weeding and maintenance of the herbaceous borders and other garden plantings ensuring the garden is clean and tidy at all times
• Planting and ongoing care of perennial beds and pots, including seasonal planting plans for display pots to ensure timely ordering of bulbs, seeds and established plants (AMGD procurement processes to be used when making purchases)
• Keep up to date records /a regular journal of what has been planted, location and progress of plants (growth, survival rates etc)
• Identify and manage pest infestations and plant disease, using organic principles wherever possible
• Keep on top of fruit and vegetable harvesting and maintain cut flower arrangements for the main house, B&B bedrooms and rental properties
• Use of machinery for variety of maintenance tasks for example, but not limited to: mowing, flailing, hay making, strimming and hedge trimming (all relevant training and certification for garden machinery to be maintained).
• Provide regular written and photographic updates for Arne Maynard via WhatsApp and / or Zoom as required
• Oversee garden contractors, maintain property equipment and systems, identifying issues and repairs as required

The candidate

The successful candidate will have strong and demonstrable horticultural knowledge, including fruit and vegetable production, rose cultivation, and plant propagation. Experience of working in private and/or public gardens maintained to a high horticultural standard is essential.

You will be a confident speaker and presenter, with demonstrable experience of leading garden tours and talks, and will be able to communicate clearly and effectively both verbally and in writing.

Relevant garden machinery training and certification are required, together with good IT skills, including social media management, Microsoft Office (Word and Excel), email and smartphone messaging applications. A full, up-to-date UK driving licence is essential.

The ideal candidate will be self-motivated and willing to take responsibility for managing their own workload and time effectively, while supporting and coordinating the work of others when required. They will demonstrate initiative, with a positive and proactive approach to daily tasks, and have the ability to build strong working relationships with colleagues, contractors and visitors.

They will work effectively as part of a team, readily assisting and supporting others where needed, while also remaining confident working independently. They will possess the resilience and flexibility to manage competing priorities, work effectively under pressure, and remain calm, professional and approachable at all times. Excellent verbal and written communication skills, together with strong organisational, critical thinking and time management skills, are essential.

Details

• Contract: Permanent
• Hours: Full time, Monday to Friday, 8am – 5pm
• Location: Usk, Wales, UK
• Salary: Competitive, depending on experience

To apply, please send a CV and covering letter by 13 August 2026.