The Historic and Botanic Garden Bursary Scheme
1 year, full-time practical work placements starting on 1st September, 2008 (Closing date 9th May) More Info here
We offer a unique chance to upgrade your skills through practical horticultural experience in historic and botanic gardens throughout the UK. HBGBS trainees will work to a structured training plan and receive on-site training and mentoring throughout their 12 month placement.
On completion of the placement the trainee's horticultural diary, research projects and plant identification tests provide a portfolio of evidence of practical skills and experience that contribute towards future career development. Trainees will also undertake 4 National Occupation Standard units (Level 3) (see www.Lantra.co.uk).
Applicants are invited to apply for any three of the following opportunities:
Isle of Gigha Achamore Gardens will give the trainee the opportunity to experience working in a unique island environment off the NW coast of Scotland. The garden is influenced by the Atlantic coastal gulf-stream. There are extensive windbreak systems and compartmental woodland gardens to maintain along with a National Collection of Rhododendron bred by Colonel J. Horlick.
This particular post is for a 6 month placement starting in March 2009.
Aberdeenshire Balmoral Castle offers the trainee an exciting opportunity to be involved with the propagation and cultivation of vegetables, fruit, cut flowers and pot plants. Training in the cultivation of indoor and outdoor displays and maintenance of the grounds will also be included in the 12 month placement.
Bristol The trainee will be involved in all aspects of maintaining Bristol Zoo Gardens. The placement will include working in the on-site nursery, the herbaceous borders, formal bedding, spring and summer and growing fodder crops for animals. An exciting development is the newly-landscaped Nectar Garden alongside The Butterfly House.
Island of Arran Brodick Castle is one of the wettest and wildest places in Scotland. The trainee will work alongside 6 full-time members of staff in the woodland garden and a walled garden, laid out in the Edwardian style. The garden is home to a first-class collection of Rhododendrons along with an extensive range of southern hemisphere plants.
Derbyshire Chatsworth is an exceptional historic house and garden with many layers of development in horticulture. The trainee will be working alongside our large team of experienced gardeners in all areas of the garden, including the Kitchen Garden, the Pleasure Garden and the Glasshouses, growing a wide variety of fruit, vegetables, bedding and cut flowers.
Aberdeenshire The trainee at Crathes Castle Gardens will join the gardens team working within the walled garden, heated glasshouses, nursery and woodland garden where both conservation and the highest standards of horticultural practice are the primary objectives.
Argyle and Bute Geilston Garden is a diverse intimate garden of 10 acres. One of its main features is the kitchen garden. The trainee will work in a small team gaining experience of vegetable, fruit and cut flower production. There will also be the opportunity to be involved in a project to implement historic ornamental planting designs in the walled garden.
Surrey Trainees will have the opportunity to work in the world famous gardens of Hampton Court Palace. Practical tasks will include work with successional bedding, topiary, extensive areas of herbaceous perennials and a rose garden are just some of the key elements that you will learn to care for, not forgetting our famous maze and world record holding grapevine.
Yorkshire Comprising a Victorian formal terrace with mixed flower borders, ornamental woodland garden and walled kitchen garden - and incorporating a diverse plant collection - Harewood offers the trainee an opportunity to learn a wide range of correlated craft skills.
Herefordshire Hergest Croft Gardens extends over 50 acres with over 4,000 rare trees and shrubs. The student will undertake an extensive range of gardening activities including the care and propagation of trees and shrubs, unusual vegetables, perennials, bulbs and glasshouse plants as well as construction, cataloguing and labelling.
NATIONAL BOTANIC GARDEN OF WALES
Carmarthenshire The trainee at NBG Wales will gain experience in four different sections: the Great Glasshouse display of Mediterranean climate regions; nursery houses and Tropical House; ornamental borders and parkland; and the Double Walled Angiosperm Phylogeny.
Cheshire Ness Botanic Garden is situated on and around a sandstone promontory with variable soils. The trainee will be involved in major projects; planting up a potager, water garden and heather bank restoration and renovation of sandstone outcrop.
Cheshire A wonderful opportunity to increase your horticultural skills within a 12 acres Victorian Garden. The garden contains many mature specimen trees, glasshouses, woodland, lakeside and herbaceous borders, a gravel garden and model fruit and vegetable garden. Reaseheath holds the National Collection of Enkianthus.
SINGLETON BOTANIC GARDENS
Swansea The Botanical Gardens hold one of Wales' premier plant collections, with spectacular herbaceous borders and large glasshouses. The trainee will join a team of gardeners working in temperate and tropical glasshouses, herbaceous borders and rockeries.
Falmouth Trebah Garden is a 26 acre sub-tropical valley garden laid out during the Victorian era. We are looking for an enthusiastic and energetic trainee to join a small team responsible for maintenance, presentation and development of the garden. The trainee will gain experience in maintaining formal borders, re-developing areas of the garden, shelterbelt maintenance and many other diverse areas.
Staffordshire This trainee placement will rotate around the key areas of Trentham on a quarterly basis. The first three quarters will respectively be spent working in the three distinctive 'garden zones', whilst the final quarter will be decided between the trainee and mentors depending on the experiences / preferences identified during the placement.
South Yorkshire A fantastic opportunity to join the team restoring the only Grade 1-listed Garden and Parkland. The 50 acre gardens are being carefully restored to reveal over 300 years of landscape design. Wentworth holds National Collections of Rhododendrons, Camellias and Magnolias
Please return your application form to the HBGBS Scheme Coordinator: Fiona.dennis@english-heritage.org.uk, or to: The HBGBS Administrator, c/o The Pines, RHS Garden, Wisley, Surrey GU23 6PX
The closing date for applications is the 9th May, 2008.
