Horticultural Border operative
Hours 7:30am-4:30pm. (30mins unpaid lunch)
Full time: Monday - Friday (42.5hours)
Overtime: Occasional Saturday‘s are required. We pull together to get larger projects completed for example…
About Us
Prune to Bloom Ltd is a professional grounds maintenance company based in Colchester, caring for a portfolio of prestigious private residential gardens and commercial estates across Essex and Suffolk. We are a small, ambitious team who hold ourselves to an exceptionally high standard on every site, every visit, without exception. Our clients trust us with spaces they care deeply about, and we take that responsibility seriously.
We're growing, and we're looking for someone who wants to grow with us not just fill a role, but build a career.
The Role
This is a mobile, van-based position working daily across a varied portfolio of private residential gardens and commercial estates throughout Essex and Suffolk. You'll start each day at our Colchester lock up, load up and head out predominantly working alongside a fellow team member, with the occasional solo day depending on the schedule.
This isn't a desk job, an office job, or a job where you do the same thing in the same place every day. You'll be on the road, out in the elements, moving between sites and getting things done. The dynamic between you and your working partner will shift depending on the task at hand sometimes you'll lead, sometimes you'll support, and always you'll be expected to bring your full ability to whatever the day requires.
Border maintenance is at the heart of this role, but as part of a growing and dynamic business, you'll occasionally be called upon to support other projects and contracts as they come in. We're a small team everyone rolls up their sleeves when needed, and that versatility is something we genuinely value.
This isn't a job for someone who wants to clock in and clock out. It's a role for someone who wants to be part of something, take pride in what they do, and build a long-term future in a company that will invest in them in return.
What a Border Operative Really Means to Us
Borders are not background detail they are the most important part of a garden. They are the first thing a client sees when they look out of their window, the first impression a visitor gets when they arrive, and the living, breathing measure of the care and expertise we bring to every site.
Done well, border maintenance done well is an invaluable skillset. It demands deep plant knowledge built over years knowing not just what something is, but exactly when to cut it back, when to leave it alone, and how to maximise the very best out of the border at every stage of the season. It means understanding how a border should look in February as much as in July. It means making the right call on a cold Tuesday morning in March that will determine how something performs in June. It means reading a plant, understanding its rhythm, and working with it not against it.
This role requires someone who carries that knowledge naturally, who plans ahead, who takes the long view, and who finds genuine satisfaction in watching something thrive under their care. If that description resonates with you, we want to hear from you.
Key Responsibilities
- Maintenance and seasonal care of planted borders across residential and commercial sites
- Time keeping needs to be impeccable
- Pruning, deadheading, cutting back and shaping of ornamental plants, shrubs and perennials at the right time, to the right specification, to get the very best out of every plant
- Weeding, edging, mulching and soil preparation to a high standard
- Seasonal planting and established plant care
- Crisp Hedge cutting and topiary skills at height and in borders a must.
- Safe application of pesticides in line with COSHH regulations and our RAMS
- Working effectively alongside a team member, adapting to a lead or support role depending on whose tasks in the garden.
- Completing daily digital job records accurately and on time via our site management app
- Keeping the van, equipment and work areas clean, tidy and organised at all times
- Representing Prune to Bloom Ltd professionally on every client site
What We're Looking For
We value character and competence equally. The ideal candidate will have:
- Excellent plant knowledge you know your plants instinctively, you know when to prune them and why, and it shows in the results you deliver
- PA1 and PA6 pesticide application certificates desirable but not essential
- Experience with hedge cutting at height desirable
- A full, clean UK driving licence essential
- Own transport to reach our Colchester lock up each morning essential
- The ability to work well alongside others as much as alone a good attitude in the van matters as much as a good eye in the border
- Comfort using a smartphone or tablet for daily reporting and job management this is a non-negotiable part of how we operate
- Formal horticultural qualifications (RHS, City & Guilds, NVQ or similar) are welcome, but solid hands-on experience and the right attitude will always take priority
Above all, we're looking for someone who:
- Takes genuine pride in their work and the finish they leave behind
- Is reliable, punctual and consistent our clients and our team depend on it
- Is truly passionate about horticulture this is a craft to them, not just a job
- Works well as part of a pair and adapts naturally to whatever the day demands
- Is naturally organised and tidy in how they work, how they leave a site and how they treat shared equipment and the company vehicle
- Understands that good admin is part of a good job daily records completed properly, every time, without chasing
- Is looking for a career, not just a pay cheque someone who wants to develop, take on responsibility and grow with us
Progression
We're a company with ambition, and we want our people to share it. For the right person, there is a genuine pathway to Senior Operative and Team Leader as the business grows. We will invest in your development, support your training and back you to step up when the time is right.
The Package
- 42.5 hours per week | £31,000-£32,000 per annum
- Overtime paid at standard hourly rate for any hours worked beyond 42.5 per week
- Full-time, permanent contract
- Monday to Friday, with occasional weekend work as required
- Report daily to our Colchester lock up, then out to sites in a company vehicle
- 28 days holiday per year (including bank holidays)
- Full uniform and workwear provided
- All tools and equipment provided
- Workplace pension scheme
- Ongoing training and development opportunities
- A genuine career path for the right person
How to Apply
Send your CV to [email protected] with the subject line: Border Operative Application
Every application is read personally. We'd love to hear a little about yourself and why this role appeals to you in your email — it doesn't need to be long, just genuine.
No agencies please.
Pay: £31,000.00-£32,000.00 per year
Work Location: In person
