Gardener

About us 

We’re Morden College: an almshouse charity with a proud history of providing homes, support, and care for older people in south-east London for over 300 years. Today, we’re building on that legacy with a clear and ambitious strategy focused on enabling our residents to live as independently, safely, and meaningfully as possible. We aim to create thriving communities where every person feels known, valued, and supported.

We provide almshouse accommodation and care services to over 250 older people across two sites in Blackheath and Beckenham, including our care home. Our vibrant and diverse resident community enjoys a wide range of events and activities, and each site offers welcoming spaces for socialising, including bars and Café 19 at the award-winning John Morden Centre.

At the heart of everything we do is a commitment to dignity, purpose, and inclusion. We actively combat loneliness, challenge ageism, and promote healthy ageing. As part of the Morden College team, you’ll help foster social connection and contribute to a community where both residents and staff can thrive. We embrace equity, diversity, and technology to deliver sustainable, high-quality services that make a lasting difference.

Job Summary/Purpose:

Assisting the Gardens Manager in ensuring that Morden College gardens and grounds at Ralph Perring Court in Beckenham and when required at Blackheath are maintained as safe and appealing external spaces and to promote resident wellbeing by supporting hands on gardening activities.

Key Duties & Responsibilities:

• Mowing, using all types of mowers, including ride-on mowers.
• Edging, trimming and maintaining lawns.
• Scarifying and spiking of lawns.
• Maintenance of fine turf areas including sports areas (including croquet and putting).
• Application of lawn fertilisers, use of hosepipes and sprinklers, watering of pots and urns.
• Planting and maintaining seasonal bedding, planting and maintaining shrubs and trees, pruning of fruit trees and shrubs, propagation of hard wood cuttings and potting up.
• Rose pruning and application of rose fertilisers, removing epicormic shoots from trees.
• Leaf clearing, using leaf blowers or rakes/brooms, make and apply compost.
• Application of rock salt or other specified materials and clearing snow and ice from pathways and roadways.
• The mixing and application of chemical sprays.
• Hedge trimming using both manual and power assisted equipment, single/double digging of areas both manually and using a rotavator.
• Carrying out soft landscaping.
• Carrying out basic brick edging, laying of slabs and timber and metal edging.
• Labelling and sign writing.
• Cleaning and maintaining horticultural machinery and hand tools, tidying up Grounds Department sheds, storage and compost areas, loading and unloading of skips, containers or other delivery vehicles.

Skills, Qualifications and Experience

Essential

• C&G Stage 2 Amenity Horticulture

or

• RHS Certificate Horticulture Level 2 Practical and Theory

or

• NVQ Level 3 Amenity Horticulture
• A minimum of 3 years practical experience in horticulture

Desirable

• Chain saw certificate
• Mixing and use of chemicals certificate
• Spraying certificate
• H&S certificate
• Horticulture
• Grounds maintenance
• Use of Machinery
• Soft landscaping
• Garden Planning
• Forward Planning skills