Description

Job Description: Calder Gardens is seeking a passionate, detail-oriented horticulturist to join our team. This is a rare opportunity to maintain a garden designed by Piet Oudolf in a full-time, year-round capacity. This role involves all aspects of caring for the diverse plantings of herbaceous plants, trees, and shrubs including weeding, planting, watering, and pruning. The Horticulturist will also support public use of the site along with related events and programs. The Horticulturist may work with seasonal gardeners, interns, and contractors, and assists with the supervision of volunteers to maintain the gardens. This role requires a passion for public gardens and comfortability with outdoor work in various weather conditions including cold, heat, rain, and inclement weather. This is a fully on-site position at Calder Gardens.

The salary for this position is $60,000. 

About the Barnes Foundation: The Barnes Foundation is a nonprofit cultural and educational institution that shares its unparalleled art collection with the public, organizes special exhibitions, and presents programming that fosters new ways of thinking about human creativity. The Barnes collection is displayed in ensembles that integrate art and objects from across cultures and time periods, overturning traditional hierarchies and revealing universal elements of human expression. Home to one of the world’s finest collections of impressionist, post-impressionist, and modern paintings—including the largest groups of paintings by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and Paul Cézanne in existence—the Barnes brings together renowned canvases by Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso, Amedeo Modigliani, and Vincent van Gogh, alongside African, Asian, ancient, medieval, and Native American art as well as metalwork, furniture, and decorative art.

About Calder Gardens: Calder Gardens is a new art institution dedicated to Alexander Calder (1898–1976), one of the most acclaimed and influential artists of the 20th century. Building on the artist’s enduring legacy, it is conceived as a place where an evolving interplay between art, architecture, nature, and programming encourages contemplation and self-discovery. Set within a landscape featuring more than 250 varieties of plants in gardens conceived by Piet Oudolf, Calder Gardens’ 18,000-square-foot building, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, houses a rotating installation of artworks by Calder.

Through an innovative collaboration, the Barnes Foundation provides administrative and operational support for Calder Gardens.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• The Horticulturist is responsible for assisting the Horticulture Manager with all day-to-day maintenance of the Calder Gardens landscape and living collections.
• Maintain the garden under the Horticulture Manager’s direction including weeding, planting, watering, pruning, and dividing.
• Ensure cleanliness and safety of the garden through daily morning walkthrough, including clearing damage, debris and litter. 
• Support the Horticulture Manager in monitoring the water needs of the gardens.
• Learn how to operate and maintain drip and sprinkler irrigation systems. 
• Assist the Horticulture Manager in maintaining plant health through Integrated Pest Management principles including scouting, identifying, reporting, and documenting pests and diseases. 
• Repair plant bed damage due to extreme weather, construction disturbance, and visitor intrusion, including replacing any mulch and keeping paths clear during the day. 
• Alert the Horticulture Manager to related hardscape issues such as damage to signs and plant bed protections.
• Along with the Horticulture Manager, inventory, maintain, store, and stage tools and equipment for daily horticulture operations.
• Maintain the department’s storage and operation space with attention to cleanliness and safety. 
• Operate vehicles including a utility vehicle and pick-up truck as needed. 
• Provide detailed and timely instructions to volunteers with regards to their work assignments. 
• Provide training orientation to volunteers as needed. 
• Assist with data collection and monitoring of the garden.
• Collaborate with the horticulture manager to achieve strategic departmental goals. 
• Be present in the garden in the Horticulture Manager’s absence.
• Attend scheduled meetings as part of the Calder Gardens Horticulture team and Operations department. 
• Support other departments with various tasks as needed. 
• Work carefully around all works of art on the campus. 
• Complete required training to safely use a fall-protection harness and lanyard when working in fall hazard zones.
• Perform other tasks as assigned.

Communication and Teamwork 

• Act as an ambassador for Calder Gardens answering visitors’ questions about horticulture, Calder Gardens history, design, and general information. 
• Assist the Horticulture Manager in supporting horticulture-related activities, events and programs such as corporate partners and members events, education and community events, and volunteer programs. 
• Demonstrate commitment to perform any and all tasks required for maintaining the highest standards of garden management. 
• Must be a collaborative team-player and willing to maintain positive engagement with the public and colleagues. 
• Be detail-oriented.
• Demonstrate commitment to complete and abide by safety training. 
• Have basic PC skills and familiarity with MS Office and Google Suite. 
• Complete of OSHA 30 training. 

Requirements

Education and Experience:

• High school diploma or equivalent.
• Associate or bachelor’s degree in horticulture, botany, environmental studies or related field preferred.
• We encourage applicants with diverse horticultural backgrounds and skills to apply. The ideal candidate possesses experience in garden maintenance and horticultural practices.
• Previous public garden employment a plus.
• Flexible schedule, including availability for weekends and evenings.

Physical Requirements

• This position may require extended time on the computer during the winter months.
• Ability to walk, reach, stoop, kneel, crouch, crawl.
• Ability to regularly lift and/or move 50 pounds with proper tools and equipment.
• Ability to traverse grounds and gardens daily, working outdoors in all weather conditions including heat, humidity, and rain, sometimes for extended periods of time.  
• Ability to operate electric equipment and power tools in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures.