Gardener – Casual

The Gardener will have a strong interest in plants and a desire to care for and maintain plant collections in a botanical garden setting. This position performs hands-on horticultural and grounds maintenance work to support the care, appearance, health, and overall presentation of The Kampong. The Gardener should be dependable, safety-conscious, detail-oriented, and able to work effectively as part of a team.

• Perform routine lawn and grounds maintenance, including mowing, weed-eating, edging, and other maintenance activities as directed.
• Prepare public-access areas for visitors prior to opening by removing debris, blowing pathways and gathering areas, and ensuring the garden is clean and presentable.
• Support general plant collection maintenance, including watering, fertilizing, weeding, pruning, staking, mulching, planting, and removal of plants as directed.
• Develop and maintain a basic understanding of the plants, collections, landscape, and history of The Kampong.
• Monitor plant health and condition, identify potential concerns, and communicate observations and recommendations to the Horticulture Manager.
• Monitor and manage trash and recycling on designated collection days, including Mondays and Thursdays.
• Apply organic and chemical fertilizers in accordance with established procedures, product labels, and safety requirements.
• Practice proper planting techniques and monitor newly planted material to promote the highest possible survival rate.
• Maintain plant collections and landscaped areas using Integrated Pest Management (IPM) practices whenever feasible.
• Apply herbicides, pesticides, and other approved pest-management products when necessary and in accordance with applicable regulations, product labels, training requirements, and NTBG procedures.
• Control weeds in landscaped and designated areas using appropriate physical, mechanical, and chemical methods.
• Safely operate and maintain a variety of garden power tools and equipment, which may include lawn mowers, weed trimmers, chainsaws, hedge trimmers, blowers, and other horticultural equipment.
• Maintain garden tools, equipment, and vehicles responsibly and safely; keep all tools, equipment, and vehicles clean and in good working order.
• Keep assigned garden areas neat, well-maintained, and free of debris.
• Assist the Visitor Services Team with mission-related events and activities as assigned.
• Assist with garden closing procedures, including securing designated areas and moving trash and recycling to appropriate locations.
• Provide courteous and professional assistance to visitors when appropriate and support a positive visitor experience.
• Perform all duties in accordance with NTBG safety policies, Job Hazard Analyses (JHAs), equipment manuals, product labels, and established procedures.
• Select, use, inspect, and properly maintain required personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Perform other duties and responsibilities as assigned by garden management.

High school diploma or General Education Development (GED) certificate; or one year of related horticultural, landscaping, grounds maintenance, or similar experience and/or training. Previous experience working with plants, gardens, landscaping, or botanical collections is preferred.

The Gardener will have a demonstrated interest in horticulture, plants, gardens, and plant collections, along with a basic knowledge of horticultural practices, including planting, watering, pruning, fertilizing, weeding, and general plant care. The Gardener must be able to observe plant conditions, recognize potential concerns, and communicate observations to the Horticulture…