Plant People Northwest is a small, sustainable gardening business providing design, installation and maintenance in North Seattle, Shoreline, Lake Forest Park and Magnolia. We value a very high quality of work and excellent client communication. We also value the job satisfaction and happiness of the crew! This is a caring, nurturing environment and a close-knit team. Find out more at www.plantpeoplenw.com.
We seek an experienced gardener or horticulture grad to join our year-round crew, either part-time (3 to 4 days/week) or full time (5 days/ week). Our days go from 8 am to 4 pm. This person will have worked in professional gardening for at least one year with another horticulture-focused fine gardening company, or they will have a horticulture degree or certification.
Specifically, we need someone who knows the majority of our ornamental and native landscape plants and how to care for them. If you have worked in a mow & blow operation, landscape construction, or environmental restoration, please know that we're looking for a different skill set. Also, if you are an aspiring landscape designer, we may not be the right company to provide mentorship and opportunities for you at this time. We are really just looking for someone who just loves to garden and wants to work on a respectful, fun team!
We use only electric power tools. We maintain our gardens without the use of toxic chemicals, with a focus on soil health and "right plant, right place". We pride ourselves on skillful pruning and have attended many classes with Plant Amnesty.
Your work will include weeding, mulching, planting, soil amendment, pruning, fertilizing and more (we do not mow lawns). You will occasionally assist on microspray irrigation and landscape construction projects. Part of the job description is to improve your plant ID and horticultural skills every day. If you are curious, passionate, energetic, and eager to learn, you will be the right fit!
Basic Qualifications:
-Work history showing 1+ year of professional gardening experience OR a horticulture degree/ certification
-Be positive, punctual, detail-oriented, hardworking, and communicative.
-Be able to manage time, prioritize tasks, and keep up a brisk (but not soul-crushing) pace all day.
-Have the stamina to perform long hours of weeding, lifting, etc. in all kinds of weather.
-Have a reliable vehicle for transportation to job sites and a smartphone for accessing our calendar and other tools.
-Note: we will give preference to folks located in Seattle and the immediately surrounding areas, so that your commute is reasonably predictable and you are able to be on time.
Pay and Benefits:
Starting pay is $23-24 depending on level of experience and assessed knowledge. If you have the credentials and leadership qualities, we would love to move you into crew leadership when you are ready, which would come with an additional raise to $27+. Our wage scale:
$23: You have worked with a hort-focused professional gardening company for at least a year, or you have a hort degree/certification. You can ID many plants and know how to prune them correctly, but you still have room to learn and grow.
$24: You can walk onto a jobsite and know the vast majority of the plants, what kind of sun exposure, soil quality, and soil moisture they need, and how to care for and prune them. You can quickly jump from this level to crew leadership.
Benefits for part time employees include:
-Sick time/ PTO
-Yearly $500 clothing stipend after 90 days
-Support for continuing education in horticulture that we agree will benefit both you and the company
Additional benefits for full time employees include:
-6 paid holidays
-50% of your premium for health, dental, vision and life insurance after 90 days
Please reply with your cover letter and a resume showing your relevant experience. Thank you!
