Head Gardener- Private Household

A UHNW couple in Sands Point, NY is seeking an experienced and highly skilled Head Gardener to oversee extensive estate gardens, greenhouses, and surrounding grounds. This individual will lead a dedicated landscaping team, ensure exceptional horticultural standards, and support the care of select property animals, including peacocks. The ideal candidate is proactive, organized, collaborative, and passionate about estate-level garden stewardship. Key Responsibilities • Lead, train, and supervise a team of 4–5 landscaping and grounds staff, ensuring productivity, professionalism, and high-quality results. • Oversee the planning, installation, and maintenance of formal gardens, flower beds, orchards, vegetable gardens, lawns, pathways, and wooded areas. • Manage greenhouse operations, including plant propagation, seasonal rotations, climate control, inventory, and specialized specimen care. • Develop and execute annual planting calendars, soil management programs, pruning schedules, pest/disease mitigation, and fertilization plans. • Maintain irrigation systems, outdoor lighting, garden structures, and grounds equipment, coordinating repairs or upgrades as needed. • Assist in the care, feeding, health monitoring, and safe habitat maintenance of estate animals—primarily peacocks—in collaboration with the House Manager and external specialists. • Source plants, supplies, and equipment; manage vendor relationships and oversee deliveries and contracted services. • Ensure safe, environmentally responsible horticultural practices, including eco-friendly material use and waste management. • Monitor staff adherence to schedules, work assignments, and estate standards, reporting updates to the House Manager/Estate Manager. • Support seasonal projects, special events, storm preparation, and recovery efforts across the property. • Maintain detailed logs, inventories, plant records, and budget tracking. Qualifications & Experience • 5+ years of professional gardening, landscaping, or estate horticulture experience required; private estate experience strongly preferred. • Proven team leadership, supervisory, or managerial experience. • Deep knowledge of horticulture, plant identification, soil science, integrated pest management, and greenhouse cultivation. • Experience working with irrigation systems, grounds tools, machinery, and safety protocols. • Comfort working around and supporting care for animals such as peacocks or other ornamental birds. • Strong organizational, communication, and time-management skills. • Ability to work outdoors year-round in varying weather conditions and perform physically demanding tasks. • Professional, discreet, dependable, and service-oriented.