Seasonal Nursery and Garden Worker

Position: Seasonal Nursery and Garden Worker

Location: Charlottesville, VA

Job : 385

# of Openings: 1

The Thomas Jefferson Foundation was incorporated in 1923 to preserve Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Today, the Foundation seeks to bring history forward into national and global dialogues by engaging audiences with Jefferson’s world and ideas, and sharing the history of everyone, enslaved and free, who lived and labored ticello is recognized as a National Historic Landmark, a United Nations World Heritage Site and a Site of Conscience.

As a private, nonprofit organization, the Foundation’s regular operating budget does not receive ongoing government support to fund its twofold mission of preservation and education. For information, visit Monticello.org.

The purpose of this position is to assist in the care and maintenance of the Center for Historic Plants greenhouse, nursery and display gardens, the packaging of seed, and the production of sales plants for the Garden Shop, catalogue and online sales.

Assist in the propagation, transplanting, watering, weeding, pruning and grooming of plants for sales preparation. Assist in transporting plants to shop.

Assist in seed packaging, monitoring, production, and collection in the nursery.

Assist in maintaining records of plant propagation and potted plants for sale through data capture and inventory management.

Assist with greenhouse, nursery, landscape and general maintenance, CHP projects, and interdepartmental projects as assigned. Landscape maintenance would include but not be limited to the display beds and plant collections located at CHP.

Basic understanding of horticultural and grounds maintenance principles: including knowledge of garden plants; soils and fertilizers; weeds and their control; watering techniques; plant propagation; essential garden tools; etc

Basic understanding of horticultural techniques and plant nomenclature.

Manual dexterity to safely and efficiently execute such tasks as: sowing seed, collecting seed; pruning and training plants; transplanting; watering; fertilizing; spraying, etc.

Position requires the ability to safely operate power equipment such as lawnmowers and weed eaters; verbal skills and proficiency in assimilating and disseminating information; tactful communication skills to ensure a harmonious working environment with colleagues; the ability to think and act quickly and to adapt to changing and adverse circumstances; and active learning capabilities.

Position requires the ability in performing manual tasks: stooping, stretching, bending, and lifting.

Position requires reliability and commitment to fulfill scheduling responsibilities.

Position requires manual labor inside a greenhouse as well as working outside in all weather conditions.

Lifting heavy plants, flats, bags of soil, etc. (50 pounds or more).

Flexibility in work schedule, to include some weekend work, including watering plants and participating in public sales.

High school education, with preference for relevant experience. Students pursuing a degree in horticulture or a related field is highly desirable.