Gardener

To Apply

Applicants interested in the gardener position must submit the following to hr@powellgardens.org.

· Cover letter addressing the following:

• Which role interests you most what do you expect to gain from the experience?
• What is your experience with horticulture and/or gardening?
• Do you have professional or volunteer experience with product displays, exhibits, and/or festivals?
• What areas of horticulture are you currently most interested in?

· Resume

· Three references: professional, academic, and/or personal

About Us

As Kansas City’s Botanical Garden, Powell Gardens plays a vital role in the community as a space for release, rejuvenation, and the celebration of the fleeting nature of nature itself. Visitors enjoy themed display gardens, a three-mile nature trail, seasonal festivals, rotating exhibitions, and exceptional architecture. Established in 1988, Powell Gardens is a public garden, maintaining 970 acres of lush, rolling hills and windswept meadows, with more than 175 acres and a large collection of plants open to the public for education, exploration, and recreation.

We at Powell believe that our team members are our most important asset. By building strong relationships with each other, we can ensure that our guests have the best possible experience. We currently have multiple Gardener roles available. If you love to work outdoors growing plants from start to finish, caring for plants, creating displays and want to leave your mark in the gardening world, Powell Gardens is the place for you! Come experience our beautiful gardens and join our team of experts.

Summary

The Gardener role is a Full Time role. We have a Greenhouse Grower role and a Core Gardener role. Both of these roles are part of teams that are responsible for the overall success of Powell Gardens. The Grower role is part of the production of crops used in impactful garden displays. The Core Gardener role is responsible for the overall horticultural management, installation, display and maintenance of the Gardens

Essential Functions

Greenhouse Grower Gardener:

• Care of the Greenhouses and other production areas including seeding, growing, weeding, watering, planting and general maintenance.
• The Production Team provides plant care 7 days/week, 365 day/year including weekends and Holidays. Holidays are 2-3/year and weekend coverage averages 2-3 days /month.There are heavy production phases that limit vacation times as vacation coverage is provided within the Production Team. Schedules are made well in advance to allow for ample staffing during these times.
• Pest and Disease Management
• Facilities Maintenance

Core Gardener:

• Seasonal garden installation on schedule.
• Impactful garden display including produced plants, designed gardens, container gardens, and updated plant tags.
• Responsible for weeding, mulching, watering, planting and general maintenance.
• Design and implementation of creative displays in the assigned beds of the Gardens with a focus on collections.
• Assist with accurate documentation of the area’s plant records and requests for new and updated plant tags.
• Assist with snow and ice removal on sidewalks.
• Timely plant maintenance, pest and disease control, record keeping; may include collection houses and/or production.
• Support garden activation in collaboration with education department, private events, development team, festivals, exhibits.
• The horticulture team is an integral part of planning, designing, installing, and tearing down seasonal festivals and annual exhibitions. Participation in meetings, creating designs, hands-on construction, and working festival shifts beyond traditional garden hours will be required.

Other Duties (both roles)

Production/Garden Manual

• Assist with annual content updates for the production/greenhouse manual.

Seasonal Festivals and Exhibitions

• The horticulture team is an integral part of planning, designing, installing and tearing down seasonal festivals and annual exhibitions. Participation in meetings, creating designs, hands-on construction, and working festival shifts beyond traditional garden hours will be required.

Facilities Maintenance

• Working with the maintenance staff, inspect the structural integrity, equipment needs and communicate concerns and needs in a timely manner allowing enough lead time to manage issues.

Collections

• Assist with maintenance of plants in the collections’ greenhouses – Temperate Collection in H1.
• Assist with maintenance of plants in the collections’ greenhouses – Seed to Plate tropical and temperate edible displays.

Volunteers/Interns

• Provide direction and support for all volunteers and interns in your area.
• Evaluate volunteers and interns, train them as required to ensure that they utilize the best horticultural practices in the Gardens.

Experience/Education

• Core Gardener: 1 years botanical garden or similar experience, Preferred
• Greenhouse Grower: 2 years greenhouse, landscape or nursery setting or similar experience, Preferred
• Associate Degree in Horticulture field or related area Preferred
• High School Diploma or GED Required
• Ability to operate necessary garden equipment and vehicles
• Working knowledge of Microsoft office products including Outlook, Word and Teams.
• Ability to adopt new technologies
• Process and Procedure oriented
• Valid Drivers License Required

Physical Requirements/Work Environment

Must be able to lift 40lbs (team lift as needed); accomplish strenuous work on an ongoing basis in various conditions, including extreme heat and cold; must have dexterity and be able to groom plants and prune with speed and accuracy; ability to work evenings, holidays and weekends as required.

Benefits

• Medical/Dental/Vision
• Retirement Plan
• Employer Paid Life Insurance
• Employer Paid Short Term and Long Term Disability Insurance
• Generous PTO Plan

To Apply

Applicants interested in the gardener position must submit the following to hr@powellgardens.org.

· Cover letter addressing the following:

• Which role interests you most what do you expect to gain from the experience?
• What is your experience with horticulture and/or gardening?
• Do you have professional or volunteer experience with product displays, exhibits, and/or festivals?
• What areas of horticulture are you currently most interested in?

· Resume

· Three references: professional, academic, and/or personal

To view the full job description, please go to https://powellgardens.org/careers-at-powell-gardens/

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: From $15.00 per hour

Expected hours: 40 per week

Benefits:

• 401(k)
• Dental insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Flexible spending account
• Health insurance
• Life insurance
• Paid time off
• Retirement plan
• Vision insurance

Schedule:

• 8 hour shift
• Day shift
• Evening shift
• Holidays
• Weekends as needed

Education:

• High school or equivalent (Required)

Experience:

• gardening: 1 year (Required)

Work Location: In person

Salary : $15