Temporary Assistant Horticulturist

Bloedel Reserve seeks a dedicated Assistant Horticulturist to join the Horticulture & Design team.

About Us

Spanning 140 acres, Bloedel Reserve features an extraordinary series of gardens, landscapes, trails, second growth native forest, meadows, waterfalls, and pond--all of which sustain abundant wildlife and provide visitors with a unique experience in nature. Cultivated gardens, horticultural features, and architectural highlights include:

• The Japanese Garden, which blends traditional schools of Japanese landscapes, including a dry sand and stone garden, stroll garden, and pond, with native Pacific Northwest elements. 
• The Rhododendron Glen, where thousands of perennials, bulbs, and wildflowers bloom among native and non-native rhododendrons collected from the Himalayas. 
• The Residence, which features a European style manicured landscape with view across the Puget Sound to the Cascade Mountain range.
• The Moss Garden, one of the largest of its kind in the world, originally planted by hand with over 275,000 plugs of Irish moss.
• Native woodlands, where a dense, second-growth Northwest evergreen forest dominates.
• Three buildings designed by renowned architects: The Residence (J. Lister Holmes), The Japanese Guest House (Paul Hayden Kirk), and the Virginia Merrill Bloedel Education Center (James Cutler)

Position Overview

The Assistant Horticulturist supports the Horticulture & Design team in the day-to-day care and maintenance of Bloedel Reserve’s gardens and landscapes. Working alongside Garden Area Managers and other team members, this position performs a variety of hands-on horticultural tasks and assists with seasonal landscape maintenance, gardens and facilities improvement and planting projects, and events.

This position is well suited to someone with foundational horticultural knowledge who is interested in developing their skills and gaining experience in a public garden environment. Occasional evening and weekend work may be required.

• Mulching, weed management, planting, watering, lawn mowing, edging, and debris removal.
• Assist with application and documentation of fertilizer and pesticide applications under supervision.
• Operation of a wide range of hand tools and landscape power equipment.
• Optional involvement in public programs or volunteer team management.
• Work collaboratively with staff, volunteers, interns, and community partners to care for the gardens and support a positive visitor experience.

Qualifications

We encourage applicants with a range of horticultural backgrounds and experience to apply. Previous experience in professional gardening, landscaping, nursery work, agriculture, ecological restoration, or a related field is preferred, but we also welcome candidates with relevant education or demonstrated hands-on experience.

Work Environment/Physical Demands

This role primarily involves outdoor work in varied weather conditions, requiring physical agility and endurance. Tasks include stooping, kneeling, balancing, climbing, lifting objects up to 50 lbs., and operating standard landscape maintenance equipment. Reasonable accommodation can be made for individuals with disabilities to ensure a successful work environment.

Benefits

Earned per year and accrued each pay period: 

• 15 days of vacation
• 12 sick days
• 13 personal holidays

Diversity & Inclusion

Bloedel Reserve is committed to fostering a diverse, inclusive, and supportive workplace. We believe that having staff, interns, and volunteers with diverse backgrounds enables the Reserve to better meet our mission and serve our communities. We recognize that opportunities in public horticulture have historically excluded and continue to disproportionately exclude Black and Indigenous people, people of color, people with disabilities, and LGBTQ+ people. We strongly encourage individuals with these identities to apply.