Deputy Head Gardener

Knepp Castle Estate, Knepp Farms LLP; England; On-site; GBP 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading horticultural estate in West Sussex is seeking a Deputy Head Gardener to support the Head Gardener in managing the innovative gardens, including the Rewilded Walled Garden. This full-time role offers a salary of £36k per annum, requiring strong horticultural knowledge and a positive attitude towards outdoor work. You'll join a passionate team responsible for maintaining and developing unique horticultural projects. Accommodation may be available, and the position is set to start in March 2026.

Benefits

Accommodation options (if available)

Work schedule includes weekends with time off in lieu

Qualifications

• Excellent organisation and communication skills: familiarity with spreadsheets, record-keeping and work planning.
• Self-motivated and able to work both independently and as part of a team.
• Horticultural qualifications: RHS Level 2 or very similar in Horticulture as a minimum.

Responsibilities

• Assist the Head Gardener in managing the gardens team.
• Support day-to-day management of Knepp's diverse garden areas.
• Engage with visitors through workshops and tours.

Skills

Organisation and communication skills

Positive attitude to manual work outdoors

Self-motivated

Quick learner

Horticultural knowledge and passion for plants

Education

RHS Level 2 or similar in Horticulture

Tools

Gardening tools and machinery

Job description

Overview

Deputy Head Gardener

An exceptional opportunity to support Knepp’s Head Gardener Charlie Harpur as Deputy of one of the UKs foremost horticultural and ecological endeavours. This role carries significant responsibility to support the Head Gardener who will be leaning heavily on you to support gardens maintenance, management and ongoing development.

We are very pleased to offer the full-time role of Deputy Head within the gardens team at Knepp Castle, West Sussex, starting in March 2026.

You will be joining our brilliant team which includes our part-time Deputy Head Gardener with delegated responsibilities including volunteer and student management; blog writing; ornamental, house plants and cut flowers). We are seeking a Deputy Head Gardener to provide the Head Gardener with a high level of support with the day-to-day management of Knepp’s garden areas, including the innovative Rewilded Walled Garden experiment, and to cover for the Head Gardener when required.

About Us

The 3500-acre Knepp estate is home to the oldest lowland rewilding project in the UK. Knepp’s small gardens team manages a diverse range of horticultural projects within the estate – from experimental and productive gardens, to formal gardens and public spaces. This includes the 1.3-acre Rewilded Walled Garden – a design masterminded by Tom Stuart-Smith and James Hitchmough – providing habitat for over 1000 different types of plant. This project is a unique experiment in maximising garden biodiversity and will be going into its fifth season in 2026.

The gardens team hosts garden tours and workshops weekly throughout the season to both engage and inspire visitors, but also help fund our garden experiment.

Job Description

We are seeking someone who can be flexible, nature-driven, and hands-on, as well as supporting the Head Gardener in the management of the team and the ongoing development of the gardens.

Tasks within the gardens team are very wide-ranging, and may include orchard and meadow-work, veg-growing, nursery-work, topiary, organising houseplants and cut flowers, visitor engagement and education, habitat creation, experimental and general horticulture, in all weathers!

Essential Skills and Experience

• Excellent organisation and communication skills: familiarity with spreadsheets, record-keeping and work planning
• A positive attitude to manual working outdoors in all weathers
• Self-motivated and able to work both independently and as part of a team
• Quick learner who is meticulous at carrying out tasks to a high level
• Horticultural qualifications: RHS Level 2 or very similar in Horticulture as a minimum, or proven practical experience
• A strong horticultural knowledge and passion for plants

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Experience and comfort in public speaking
• Comfortable using a range of tools and machinery
• Can adapt to different situations and bring a positive attitude to problem solving
• Driving license and own vehicle.

Salary and Conditions for the Deputy Head Gardener role

£36k per annum

40-hour week, Monday-Friday, with some requirement to work weekends, where time off in lieu is provided.

The Knepp Estate has a number of residential properties that are rented out and accommodation could be provided (if it becomes available) subject to separate discussion.

Apply

Please follow this link to the Horticulture Week job advert, and follow the application instructions.

Please note that we expect a very large number of applications for both roles and will therefore need to be selective in the applications we will engage with. All applications must have the full time right to work in the UK at time of application.

Deadline: 23 February 2026

Knepp is an equal opportunity employer. We value diversity in our team as much as we do in our landscape. We encourage applicants from all backgrounds to apply for roles at Knepp.