‘I have become increasingly aware of a worrying phenomenon within the realms of Senior and Head Gardeners, employed in a variety of different ‘Estates’ with other departments sharing the work of maintaining the grounds.’
During the past three years or so, what at first appeared to me to be a fairly unusual set of circumstances is now becoming more wide spread. I refer to the lack of comprehension of some owners and Directors (or ‘Boards’, running the properties) in the vital works carried out by skilled Head Gardeners, and the paramount importance of retaining those irreplaceable talents.
Typically, these ‘Estates’ – Places of Learning, Sporting Estates and Commercial Properties – have traditionally employed a Gardens Team, Greenkeepers/Grounds Team and/or Land Management Departments to run the different aspects of the site, each run as separate entities, using their own specialised equipment and skills certificates suited to each trade, and headed by qualified and experienced Leaders. The very titles of each were considered to be the pinnacle of someone’s career. Head Gardener, Head Green-keeper, Head of Grounds or perhaps Head of Land Area Management – all clear and unequivocal statuses, with the kudos and responsibilities that went with those names.
I have to be careful not to mention any names or places, but in one instance that I became involved in as an independent consultant, a well – known and highly regarded Garden that was open to the public and hosted many weddings and other events, both Annual and Show specific, became compelled to save money.
The ‘Board’ made a decision to make the Head Gardener redundant, and rely on their other gardens staff, plus a group of volunteers, to manage the site. The opportunity to save £40,000 was too great, and in one simple move, they could make this significant financial gain. The result was a disaster, with the staff unable to cope without instruction (they were told to check back and use previous diaries and notes to ascertain which jobs should be worked on each month, and do the best they could to cope). The volunteers were rudderless and very soon most had given up and moved to other ‘Stately’ gardens where they could continue with their training.
Other sites have made similar decisions, either shedding experienced Head Gardeners to make savings or not replacing those that have either left or retired, and placing another Head of Department (either Green – keepers or Grounds Departments) in charge of the Gardens Team, thinking that there is little or no difference in the skills set required. After all, grass is grass and plants are plants – where’s the problem? Why replace a Head Gardener, when they are becoming increasingly difficult to find and an expensive luxury we can do without?
I have never yet come across an Estate that has successfully managed to integrate Gardeners and a Grounds Team. Both are simply too specialised to co-exist in the same Team. Working together as a Joint Venture Group, with the Gardeners helping with (say) hedge cutting, and the Grounds Team helping with cutting the larger areas of lawns, where their super – sharp, fine cutting greens machines can make a superb job of mowing the most prestigious areas to ‘Front of House’ is a sensible use of site assets.
But gardeners are growers and planners, producers and custodians of trees and shrubs, many of which may be very rare or ancient, requiring specialised skills and techniques, learned and practised for many years. Green keepers are agronomists, skilled in the care of fine turf and the use of highly complex and expensive machinery. Both are highly talented skill sets, with the recognition of the importance of long term planning.
I agree that it is becoming more difficult to find suitable Head Gardeners in the current climate. Part of my work as a consultant is to find, interview and place new Head Gardeners for very prestigious sites. I am not an Agent, working only for those who seek assistance with the work involved in this procurement.
Whilst there are those with the horticultural talent required to mantain sites, there are many more who lack the experience in Managing a department, with so many diverse Laws and Rules governing the well – being of the gardens, staff, budgets, site evaluation, forward planning and a host of other non-gardening yet fundamental aspects of running a modern Gardens Department.
Because these skills are not as finely honed as they should be, Head Gardeners have become increasingly reliant instead on other Departments (or passing problems on to the owners) including Human Resources and The Board of Directors to take over everyday problems – especially dealing with staff gripes and matters concerning Health & Safety or other Legal matters, instead of dealing with them confidently and within their own Department. The simplest of issues now involve too many other people, and old fashioned common sense is lost, leaving Head Gardeners appearing weak and insecure in their position.
It is this loss of confidence that leads so many talented Head Gardeners to leave their jobs and seek new (and less stressed) opportunities. I suggest that Managing Your Department and proving your ability to do deal with all aspects of your Team will become even more important to those seeking employment, certainly when facing an Interview Panel.
Horticultural knowledge is very important. The ability to build, train, enthuse, respect and manage your team is perhaps even more important.