Rose Hill is a historic Virginia estate encompassing more than 300 acres of formal gardens, specimen trees, woodlands, meadows, and agricultural land. We are seeking a talented, hands-on Head Gardener & Estate Grounds Manager to oversee the care, development, and long-term stewardship of this remarkable property. Conveniently located in Caroline County, Virginia, Rose Hill is easily accessible to both Fredericksburg and Virginia's Northern Neck, offering the opportunity to live and work in a beautiful rural setting while remaining close to nearby communities and amenities. The ideal candidate is passionate about horticulture, highly organized, mechanically capable, and comfortable working across a diverse estate. This is a hands-on position with a significant emphasis on farm and grounds management, requiring demonstrated experience operating mowing and bush-hogging equipment, using a variety of farm and landscape tools and performing basic equipment maintenance and repairs.
Qualifications:
Demonstrated professional experience in estate gardening, horticulture, farm management, grounds management, public gardens, arboreta, agricultural properties or a similar environment.
Strong knowledge of perennials, annuals, trees, shrubs, lawns and landscape maintenance in USDA Zone 7b.
Demonstrated, hands-on experience operating tractors, bush hogs, riding mowers and other agricultural or landscape equipment is required.
Experience safely operating and maintaining equipment and tools such as chainsaws, lawn aerators, trimmers, blowers and related farm and landscape tools.
Basic mechanical aptitude and a working understanding of equipment maintenance, troubleshooting and minor repairs.
Experience with pruning, plant identification, soil management, irrigation and sustainable horticultural practices.
Ability and willingness to perform physically demanding outdoor work in varying weather conditions.
Strong organizational skills with the ability to independently prioritize and manage multiple responsibilities across a large property.
Ability to work effectively with ownership, contractors, vendors and any other estate personnel.
Valid driver's license and a safe driving record required.
Professional demeanor, sound judgment, discretion and reliability are essential.
Degree or certification in horticulture, landscape management, arboriculture, agriculture, or a related field preferred; substantial practical experience will be highly valued.
This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced horticulturist, grounds manager, farmer or estate professional who enjoys hands-on work and takes pride in the stewardship of historic property someone equally comfortable managing a formal garden, operating a tractor or bush hog, maintaining equipment and attending to the practical demands of a large rural estate.
