Gardener

Gardener

The Horticultural Society of New York (The Hort) seeks an energetic and dedicated Gardener to support horticultural work in public and private spaces throughout New York City. Gardeners should be able to work efficiently, independently, and collaboratively to accomplish each day’s tasks. The Gardener will work directly with The Hort’s team to plant and care for trees and shrubs and engage in green infrastructure work on roofs, gardens, public plazas, Open Streets, supportive housing facilities, and private residences. The ideal candidate is passionate about furthering their career in public space horticulture. This is a full-time, year-round position with room for growth.

We bring plants into the places where daily life happens, especially in neighborhoods with the least access to green space. We turn “unplantable” urban spaces—sidewalks, medians, traffic triangles, and streets—into gardens and plantings that last. We engage communities through learning, wellness, and paid work so the benefits of plants are more accessible to New Yorkers across our city.

Responsibilities Include:

• Care for trees, shrubs, perennials, grasses, and other plantings

• Planting, pruning, deadheading, watering, weeding, and other horticultural tasks

• Leaf, debris, and trash removal

• Survey condition of sites

• Communicate the status of job sites, including improvements needed or change

• Composting and mulching

• Maintain tools and machinery

• Irrigation repair and installation

• Clear communication with colleagues, clients and members of the public

• Other tasks as assigned

Required qualifications:

• 6 months to 1 year of experience with hands-on experience planting and maintaining urban green spaces and gardens

• Comfortable working in high traffic areas (roadsides, medians, traffic circles, tree pits, etc.)

• Punctual and dependable

• Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal

• Ability to work independently as well as part of a team

• Perform all other duties and tasks assigned

Physical Requirements

• Must be able to lift up to 50 pounds at a time

• Must be able to squat, kneel, lift, stretch, bend, and stand for extended periods of time.

• Ability to perform physical labor outside in various weather conditions

• Comfort working outside year round

• Comfort traveling throughout the city on public transportation

Benefits

The Hort offers all Full-Time regular employees a generous Paid Time Off package, term life insurance policy, and Employee Assistance Program. Pre-tax benefits include transit, Flexible Spending Account, medical, dental, and vision insurance. A 401(k)-retirement plan is available after one year of service.

Additional Details

• Rate: $20.00 min- $20.00 max/ hour

• Employment Classification: Full-Time Regular

• Work Location: On-site

• Reports to: Field Supervisor

• Schedule: Monday- Friday

How to Apply

To be considered, submit your application, resume, and a brief cover letter detailing your interests. Only complete applications will be reviewed. No phone calls.

Please be advised that due to the high volume of applicants, we can only contact candidates whose skills and background best fit the needs of open positions. We appreciate your interest in employment opportunities at The Horticultural Society of New York.

The Hort is committed to workplace diversity and inclusion. It is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, ethnicity, age, religion, gender, marital status, sexual orientation, disability, veteran status, political orientation or any other characteristic protected by federal state or local law.

We provide reasonable accommodation for qualified individuals with disabilities to enable them to perform the essential functions of the job. Reasonable accommodation is also available for these individuals during the hiring process. Please email

jobs@thehort.org