Highdown Gardens Plant Heritage Officer

An excellent opportunity has arisen for a Plant Heritage Officer to manage and care for the
National Collection of plants at Highdown Gardens. This position is a temporary post until
November/December 2022 funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund.


Highdown Gardens is a Grade II* listed garden of global importance set on the chalk downs near
Worthing in West Sussex. Originally laid out by Sir Frederick Stern from Edwardian plant
hunter-collected specimens, the gardens were bequeathed to Worthing Borough Council in 1968. In
1989, the gardens were recognised by the NCCPG (now Plant Heritage), and were awarded the
status of housing a National Plant Collection of plants collected by Sir Frederick Stern.


Worthing Borough Council has recently been successful in its application for National Lottery
Heritage Funding, and protecting the National Collection through a propagation programme is
core to the project.


Therefore, a rare opportunity has arisen and to find out more about Highdown Gardens, please
visit www.highdowngardens.co.uk

Applicants must have extensive horticultural knowledge, and be passionate and skilled in plant
identification and propagation. A self-starter, the successful candidate will identify and
validate plants in the National Collection, create a propagation programme and develop
relationships with other collection holders or gardens where propagated material will be
shared.


In addition, the successful applicant will manage and develop a propagation facility where
visitors can view, take part in and learn about propagation techniques used within the gardens.


Does this sound like you? For an informal discussion about this post, contact Philippa Reece -
Parks and Foreshore Manager at philippa.reece@adur-worthing.gov.uk

Closing date:
Sunday 14th February 2021 Interviews:
Wednesday 24th February 2021
For further details and to apply, please click here.

No CVs or agency applications accepted.