Role: Gardener (Qualified)
Company: Nella Properties Ltd
Location: Bromley / Orpington base, working across our properties in Southeast London and Kent
Hours: Guaranteed 3 days per week, Monday to Friday. Some seasonal flexibility (earlier starts in summer, shorter days in winter)
Pay: Depending on qualifications and experience
Reports to: The Directors
Start: As soon as possible
The company & role:
Nella Properties is a family-owned property company. We own, develop and manage properties across Southeast London and Kent, and we want the gardens and grounds to look the part all year round.
We are hiring a qualified gardener, guaranteed three days a week, to take ownership of the grounds across the portfolio. The job has three parts: planting, maintaining what is planted (along with lawns, hedges and trees), and keeping every site clean and tidy. It is hands-on and largely self-directed: you plan your own days, deliver the work yourself, and look after the tools.
What you will do:
Planting
- Design, source and plant beds, borders, containers and seasonal displays (bulbs, bedding, perennials, shrubs and hedging) across the portfolio
- Plant up new and refurbished properties and development sites, and see the planting through establishment (watering, staking, mulching, replacements) until it is settled
- Choose the right plants for each site: soil, aspect, footfall, and how much maintenance the site can realistically carry
- Buy plants, compost and materials within an agreed budget
Maintaining
- Lawns: mowing, edging, feeding, scarifying, aerating, overseeding and repairs
- Beds and borders: weeding, pruning, deadheading, dividing, mulching, feeding and watering
- Hedges and trees: trimming and formative pruning, and spotting tree safety issues and calling in a tree surgeon where needed
- Pests, diseases and weeds: diagnose and treat, including spraying where certified
- Keep tools and machinery serviced and safe
- Keep simple records: maintenance calendar, spraying records, plant purchases
Tidying and presentation
- Keep paths, patios, drives, car parks, bin stores and entrances swept, weed-free and safe
- Leaf and debris clearance, litter picking, green waste removal, and gritting or snow clearance in winter where needed
- Make sure every site is presentable for tenants, residents and viewings, and flag anything else that needs fixing (fencing, drainage, lighting)
- Work safely and considerately around tenants, residents and site staff, and represent the company well on site
What we are looking for
Essential
- Recognised horticultural qualification: RHS Level 2 Certificate, City & Guilds / NVQ Level 2 in Horticulture, or equivalent. Level 3 or above is a plus
- At least five years' professional gardening or grounds maintenance experience (estate, commercial, local authority or contractor)
- Strong plant knowledge: choosing the right plant for the spot, planting and establishment, pruning timing and technique, soils and feeding
- Confident with commercial machinery: ride-on and pedestrian mowers, hedge trimmers, strimmers, blowers
- Full UK driving licence and your own transport to get between sites
- Comfortable working alone and managing your own days across several sites
- Physically fit and happy working outdoors in all weathers
- Reliable, tidy, and proud of the finished result
Desirable
- PA1 and PA6 pesticide certificates
- Experience designing planting schemes or borders
- Chainsaw certificates (CS30 / CS31)
- Experience of new-build landscape establishment or working alongside developers
- First aid at work
What we offer
- Pay depending on qualifications and experience
- Guaranteed 3 days per week, Monday to Friday, no weekends
- Funded training where it adds to the role (PA1 / PA6, chainsaw, RHS Level 3)
- A stable, family-owned business where you work directly with the owners and have real say over how the grounds are run
Benefits:
- Company pension
- Employee discount
- Free parking
- On-site parking
- Referral programme
Work Location: In person
