Description

Brookside Gardens, a 50-acre horticultural display garden in Wheaton, Maryland, seeks a passionate and enthusiastic hands-on Horticulturist I to join our team.

Brookside Gardens welcomes over 1,000,000 visitors each year who come to enjoy the gardens and participate in engaging programs and events. The potential candidate has a broad knowledge of seasonal and permanent plants suitable for the mid-Atlantic region to care for and develop beautiful and diverse landscapes, collections, and plant displays. This position is responsible for the design, installation and maintenance of several prominent formal and informal garden areas. The plant collections in these garden areas are diverse, including mature tree canopies sheltering mixed woody plants, herbaceous perennial borders and bulb plantings, as well as changing themed seasonal plantings, including spring bulbs, summer annuals and autumn chrysanthemums.

The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC), a six-time National
Recreation and Parks Association Gold Medal Award Winner, is seeking a Horticulturist I to work within Montgomery Parks. The Department serves a diverse population of more than one million residents in Montgomery County, Maryland, and manages 419 parks on more than 37,000 acres of parkland. The Department has an annual operating budget of over $100 million, a six-year Capital Improvement Program of over $180 million, and a career staff of nearly 800 employees. Click links below to learn more:

Examples of Important Duties

  • Maintains complex and dynamic horticultural plantings to the highest standards, including but not limited to such tasks as soil preparation, planting, transplanting, staking, pruning, mulching, weeding, watering, fertilizing, IPM, etc.
  • Designs, orders plants, and installs artistic specialized seasonal plant displays for exhibit and education.
  • Assists in planning and implementation of landscape projects, both plant materials and hardscape elements.
  • Uses IPM practices to identify, monitor and manage pests, diseases, and weeds.
  • Prepares and presents informative and accurate educational programs to visitors and staff.
  • Supports the Gardens’ special events, plant sales, and other programs.
  • Plans work, instructs, supervises, evaluates, and works alongside Seasonal staff, interns and volunteers.
  • Uses a wide a range of hand tools, landscape equipment and vehicles safely.
  • Participates in snow removal.
  • Provide exemplary customer service to visitors, volunteers, and Parks staff.
  • Proven track record of working collaboratively and as part of a team.

Minimum Qualifications

  1. Bachelor’s degree in horticulture or related field; and
  2. One year of professional experience in horticulture or closely related field; or
  3. An equivalent combination of education and experience.
  4. Valid driver’s license.
  5. A Maryland State Pesticide Applicator’s License may be required within six months of employment, dependent on assigned duties of the incumbent.

Preferred Qualifications:

  • Willingness to share horticultural knowledge with visitors, volunteers and staff in informal settings, formally scheduled programs, and interpretive signage.
  • Experience working in a public garden or similar cultural institution.
  • Extensive knowledge of the use and cultivation ornamental plants suitable for the mid-Atlantic region.
  • Supervisory experience, including paid staff, students, interns, and volunteers
  • Ability to communicate in one of Montgomery County’s most common languages (Spanish, Chinese, African Languages, Persian, French) is a plus!

Working Conditions:
Primarily works outside but may work inside on occasion. Exposed to weather, temperature extremes, dirt, waste, odors, caustic chemicals, pesticides, wildlife, and potentially harmful insects. Some weekend, evening, holiday, and special event work is required. Will be called back for emergency work, such as snow removal.

The compensation and benefits package feature a defined retirement plan, generous annual, personal and sick leave, and medical and dental coverage. This position is eligible for an employment (sign-on) bonus.

Person(s) hired for this position must provide proof of being fully vaccinated for
COVID-19 (with limited religious or medical exceptions.)

DIVERSITY STATEMENT: Montgomery County Department of Parks believes that diversity in all dimensions of the organization supports and bolsters the innovative thinking essential to its success. Montgomery County Parks does not make hiring decisions on the basis of race, ethnicity, national origin, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, age, disability, religion, political affiliation, ideology or status as a Veteran.