horticulturist

service attendant

attendant

intern

security officer

Missouri-Botanical-Garden

From the moment I joined the Missouri Botanical Garden, it became evident that I would have little to no control over my work. The lack of autonomy left me feeling restricted and stifled. Instead of being given the opportunity to contribute my expertise and ideas, I was met with a rigid and inflexible environment where my input held little value. This significantly hindered my professional growth and made it difficult for me to feel motivated in my role.

Perhaps the most distressing aspect of my time at the garden was the utter incompetence displayed by my supervisor, especially in their role as a horticulturist. It was astonishing to witness someone entrusted with such a vital position struggle with basic tasks, such as properly watering plants. Their inability to perform fundamental responsibilities undermined the credibility of the garden and impacted the overall quality of our work. As a horticulturist, I had hoped to learn from experienced professionals and enhance my skills, but instead, I found myself questioning the competence of my own supervisor.

Furthermore, when I expressed my struggle with working alone and the need for interaction, the management's response was completely unsupported. Rather than addressing my concerns and finding a suitable solution, I was hastily moved into an isolated position, where I was denied any meaningful interaction with my colleagues for months. This isolation only exacerbated my feeling of under-appreciation and hindered my ability to learn and grow within the organization. The lack of mentorship and guidance further intensified my frustration, leaving me disillusioned with the field of horticulture itself.

This reviews pertains largely to the horticulture department. MBG could be an excellent place to work were it not for conservative management practices, abysmal benefits and time off, and few to no chances of advancement. The turnover rate is high for a reason, and morale is consistently low. There are too many managers and not enough staff. The pay gap between managers and employees is severe. Annual raises usually are around 1-2%. It takes over two months to accrue a single sick day. Hourly staff are treated poorly, rarely recognized for endless hard work, and are placed under a level of scrutiny not consistent with the low pay rate. There is no communication between departments. No room for professional development. Old and broken equipment that takes ages to get repaired or replaced, making work even more difficult. The garden itself is great and the work can be rewarding at times, and the people who work there really do care, but it's hard to balance with all the cons.

Previous reviewers sum it up well. 1-3% annual raises. It will take you an average of 3-4 years to make a dollar more an hour if you are hourly staff.  Inflation being what it is (8.5%) you will always make significantly less and less each year.  Pto is slow to aquire, two months to get one sick day/vacation which ensures employees are unable to fully utilize their pto or take more than a day or two off at a time, unless you opt to take no pto for half or the majority of the year.

Lack of diversity is apparent, management is bloated, conservative, opaque and untrustworthy. Moral is low, hourly staff keeps their head down and grinds away. 

The garden mission statement is just that, a statement. Practices at the garden are out dated and similar to any other large commercial horticulture related businesses. Equipment breaks down frequently, long waits for replacements.

Worked with botanists, typing their letters from transcriptions and hard copy.  Helped set up the Fall Symposium.  Worked on National Science Foundation proposals, and National Geographic grants and proposals for individual curators.  Typing their proposals into the forms on the internet and making them fit the forms.
Answering and directing calls or paging people working in the herbarium and away from their desks.  Taking messages or putting the calls on Voice Mail.  Working with scientists and people like that is very different from the commercial type of jobs.

I enjoyed working for the Missouri Botanical Garden.  Every day was different and yet the same.  Jus walking from the parking lot was an enjoyable experience.  I really loved some of the sights and aromas from the plant life when passing by.

My typical work day consists of:

Managing shipping and receiving through active involvement by communication to various clients receiving materials throughout the main campus and satellite campuses. I am the go-to tech support for my building in computer and audio-visual related issues.
As I find time, I procure items for sale on Craigslist, take photos and post along with description. I field calls, set appointments for showing and selling items, meet and greet customers, and finalize contracts for sale and cash forms to hand in to office. Every summer, I handle AV for the weddings at the Butterfly house, a division of MBG. This is overtime for six months per year. I would like to combine all this activity into one IT job.

I then take IT classes at night.

A typical day at work began with checking inbox for folders from curators to type letters, memos and other documents from tapes.
I learned a lot about plant names and manuscripts.  I worked mostly for the Botanists who studied the plants new and old in the Herbarium at the Missouri Botanical Garden.  My co-workers were great and we worked together to get work done in a timely manner.  Working on grant proposals for National Science Foundation and National Geographic and making them fit into their forms.  Also, other foundations when needed.
Loved walking though the Garden and seeing all of the different plants, trees and statues, etc.


Too many management positions when they should be hiring more ground staff. The work load is insane. Morale is low. Pay increases yearly of only 1-2%. With inflation most staff are unhappy because they're drowning in work for essentially less pay and no chance of promotion. Most staff pick up a second job or work side gigs. Management tell you they can't buy anything because the garden is penny pinching and have no money. Machinery won't get fixed in a timely manner. But you can stare at the nice new 100+ million dollar entry way. Coworkers are great people, they care about their work but people get stuck in the grind of work we get. Bonus if your catalytic converter gets stolen off your car while it's parked in garden parking lot. It's a joke. Trust me, it's funny. Ha. Ha. Haaaaa.

I worked in the Communications Department doing graphic design and was a contract worker. I really loved my job, my boss and the culture in general. 

I loved how varied my job was which kept it interesting and just being able to walk across the street to the garden at any given time was amazing. I really miss it there and unfortunately, they let go of all the contract workers last November. And my contract has a no compete and a ridiculously high buyout rate so I have to wait till November before I can pursue work with them again. 

The mission of the Garden is inspiring and keeps me coming to work every day. I get to work with plants from all over the world and learn new things every day. Unfortunately, some divisions are lead with large egos, untrustworthy managers, and no accountability. Other divisions/managers are wonderful so do your research before applying. 
If a board member every reads this- PLEASE hold the VP's accountable! Staff survey and executive leadership training and accountability could go a long way to growing a strong institution.

I worked with Education, which was a great experience for me.  I had support and freedom to explore new avenues and try new things, and everyone I worked with was passionate about what we were doing and the good we could do both locally and abroad.  I made lifelong friends there, and met people I admire very much.  Being a part of an organization that has been a significant contributor to the community and the world for over a century is an amazing experience.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Horticulturist 35 salaries reported	$19.26 per hour
Service attendant 7 salaries reported	$15.50 per hour
Attendant 2 salaries reported	$15.50 per hour
Intern 10 salaries reported	$15.50 per hour
Security officer 5 salaries reported	$19.00 per hour

Working at Missouri Botanical Garden: Company Overview and Reviews

Missouri Botanical Garden

Missouri Botanical Garden Ratings

Popular jobs at Missouri Botanical Garden

Salary Satisfaction

Job Seeker Tools

Employer Tools

Browse

Stay Connected