Horticultural worker

About our client

Our client is a family-run landscaping company that has been trading for more than 25 years. It designs and builds gardens and provides one-off and ongoing grounds maintenance for homeowners, housing estates, commercial premises and state agencies. Many of its customers have stayed with the company for 10 years or more.

The role

As a Horticultural Worker, you will plant, maintain and care for gardens and grounds for our client's residential, commercial and public sector customers in County Tipperary. You will work from the company yard, travelling out to sites, and you will work on your own or as part of a small crew. The work covers plant care, lawn care, seasonal grounds maintenance and help with building landscaping projects.

What you will do

• Plant, propagate, pot on and care for trees, shrubs, hedging, perennials and bedding plants.

• Prepare ground and soil by digging, cultivating, adding compost and applying mulch.

• Water, feed and prune plants, and train climbers and hedges so they stay healthy.

• Lay and maintain lawns, including seeding, turfing, mowing, edging, scarifying and aerating.

• Control weeds, pests and diseases by hand and, once trained, with approved plant protection products.

• Carry out seasonal grounds maintenance, including grass cutting, hedge trimming and strimming, and help build planting schemes, beds, paths and boundaries.

• Operate mowers, strimmers, hedge cutters and other equipment, and carry out basic upkeep on them.

• Load and unload plants, materials and tools, and keep vehicles and work areas tidy.

• Follow health and safety rules, wear the PPE provided, report hazards or accidents and keep simple daily records of the work you complete and the materials you use.

Essential

• At least 2 years' experience in horticulture, nursery, landscaping or grounds maintenance work.

• Practical knowledge of planting, pruning, lawn care and plant health, including spotting common pests and diseases.

• The ability to use hand tools and powered garden equipment safely.

• Good physical fitness, so that you can work outdoors in all weather, including lifting and repetitive work.

• A reliable and punctual approach, and the ability to work alone or as part of a small crew.

• Fluent spoken and written English, enough to follow instructions and safety guidance.

• A full driving licence valid for use in Ireland.

• Your own means of transport to and from the yard each day, such as a car, bicycle or e-scooter.

Desirable

• A recognised qualification in horticulture or amenity horticulture, such as QQI Level 4 or 5 or equivalent.

• Experience with large lawn mowers such as zero turn mowers, compact tractors, mini diggers or loaders.

• Plant protection product (pesticide) user training, or willingness to complete it.

• Chainsaw or ride-on mower certification.

• Experience with Irish or northern European plant species and growing conditions.

• Hours: 40 hours a week, with about 8 hours of overtime a week available (this may vary slightly with the time of year)

• Overtime rate: time and a half

• Contract: Permanent, full-time

• Annual leave: 21 days a year

• Other benefits: paid public holidays and sick pay