Plant Area Expert
Full-time (working four week days and one alternate weekend day)
Perrywood is an independent, family-owned garden centre and nursery group run by the Bourne Family. Our Tiptree, Buckhatch and Sudbury centres are all surrounded by beautiful countryside and our mission is to offer a memorable garden centre experience; delivering wow customer service and giving our employees and customers, a reason to smile.
We are excited to be expanding our Plant Area team as we look forward to opening our brand-new garden centre later in 2025.
Our experienced plant area team ensure that our high-quality plants are always looking their best. We create inspiring displays which help our customers to purchase, and therefore increase sales.
We are looking for someone who can combine an impressive knowledge of plants and gardening with excellent customer service skills. You will mostly be working outside – moving and displaying plants, plant care & maintenance. We are looking for motivated individuals who can follow instructions and communicate with customers. You will support our mission to offer a memorable garden centre experience; delivering wow customer service and giving employees, customers, suppliers and the community a reason to smile.
Rewards and Benefits
In addition to your hourly pay, you will receive the following benefits:
- Discount – From the start of your employment you will receive 10% discount on specific items. Following a successful probation period, the discount increases up to 20% discount on specific items and after one year’s service up to 40% discount on specific items. (some exceptions apply) Paid holiday – holiday entitlement is 22 days per year, plus bank holidays. Restrictions apply
- Annual Christmas bonus
- Part-uniform provided
- Employee Assistant Programme - a confidential personal and professional support service available to all employees and their immediate families 24/7, 365 days a year.
- Training & development, as required. We have an e-learning scheme called GROW, and also take part in other training with product suppliers and external trainers
- Company sick pay – following a successful probation period employees are entitled to 10 days paid sickness (part-time pro rata and subject to restrictions)
- Access to our Retail Discount Scheme – savings on retailers including Tesco, Pizza Express, M&S, Waitrose, Argos, Apple, Currys PC World, Thomas Cook and 100’s more
- Workplace pension
- Free parking
Key duties
- You will undertake daily watering and stocking up of the outdoor and indoor plant areas.
- You will create dynamic displays, which encourage customer sales.
- You will confidently answer customer queries, and be knowledgeable about planting combinations and looking after plants.
- Assist with the building of displays and picking customer orders.
- Maintaining the cleanliness of the garden centre and stock areas.
- When needed you will assist in other areas of the business and nursery production.
- Receiving of deliveries and stock transfers.
- Maintain healthy plant stock.
Your capabilities
- Good plant/horticulture knowledge essential- whether that’s in the form of a relevant qualification, experience of working in a garden centre, plant retail or similar environment.
- Good verbal communication skills, and customer service skills, confident in dealing with members of the public.
- Ability to give instruction to Plant Area Assistants on plant care, maintenance and watering.
- Able to follow instructions from your supervisors, and work on your own initiative.
- Requirements
- You’ll need to work four week days and one alternate weekend day
- You’ll need to work Bank holidays
- As part of this role when assisting in bedding plant department you will be required to wear gloves (Personal Protective Equipment, or PPE) when handling certain crops which may be for large parts of the day
If this Full-time Horticulture Expert position sounds like the ideal opportunity for you, please apply directly to us. We’d love to hear from you!
For further information and a full job description, please visit the Perrywood website https://www.perrywood.co.uk/careers/
Perrywood is an equal opportunities employer and is committed to ensuring our recruitment processes are as inclusive as possible. If you require any reasonable adjustments, please inform us as soon as you are able so that we can make the appropriate adjustments.
Job Types: Full-time, Permanent
Pay: £13.50-£13.90 per hour
Expected hours: 39 per week
Benefits:
- Employee discount
- Free flu jabs
- Free parking
- Health & wellbeing programme
- On-site parking
- Sick pay
- Store discount
Application question(s):
- Tell us about your expertise in horticulture and plant care
- Due to our rural location and limited access to public transport, your own transport is preferred
Experience:
- Horticulture: 3 years (required)
- Customer Service: 3 years (required)
Work Location: In person