ABOUT THE JOHN FAIREY GARDEN
The John Fairey Garden is a 40-acre conservation garden in Hempstead, Texas, founded in 1971 by John Gaston Fairey. Fairey was a formally trained fine artist, a Texas A&M Regents Professor, and a plant explorer who led over 100 collecting expeditions into the remote mountains and canyons of Mexico. The garden holds one of the most significant living plant collections in the American South, with more than 5,000 plants representing over 1,500 unique taxa from Mexico, Asia, and the United States.
The garden carries a conservation easement, a permanent legal commitment to preserving the horticultural and artistic integrity of what John Fairey created. His vision was shaped equally by scientific rigor and artistic sensibility: the collection is a botanical achievement sited in an artist's garden. Both dimensions are revered here. Caring for The John Fairey Garden means stewarding something rare and irreplaceable, and that responsibility is built into every role.
THE OPPORTUNITY
We are seeking a Zone Horticulturist to serve as the primary caretaker and botanical steward of the Woodland Gardens, the most botanically rich zone in the collection and the area most in need of dedicated attention. This is a newly created position, part of a restructuring of our horticulture team designed to place skilled, plant-knowledgeable people directly in the field across each area of the garden.
This is a hands-on field position. The right candidate is as comfortable with a pair of pruners as with a plant database: someone who can identify a rare Mexican endemic, understand why it matters to the collection, and then properly care for it. Daily responsibilities include weeding, pruning, fertilizing, planting, and all the physical demands of maintaining a diverse, complex garden in the Texas climate. This is not a desk role; it is a role for someone who loves plants and loves working with them.
The Woodland Gardens is the zone of the collection with the most room for improvement. Recovering its full plant diversity and maintaining it at the standard John Fairey established is the central work of this position.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- First-line caretaking of the Woodland Gardens zone: daily weeding, pruning, fertilizing, watering, and planting to maintain plant health, cleanliness, and presentation at the highest standard in all weather conditions.
- Zone-level plant knowledge: developing and maintaining detailed familiarity with the identity, condition, location, and provenance of each plant in your care.
- Curatorial collaboration: participating in regular collections walk-throughs with the Director of Horticulture & Living Collections and the Nursery Manager; implementing curatorial recommendations within the zone.
- Collections stewardship: flagging plants of concern, unidentified accessions, or losses; contributing to zone-level records in IrisBG.
- Aesthetic and design integrity: maintaining the visual character and design standards John Fairey established, caring for the Woodland Gardens as both a botanical collection and a designed landscape.
- Garden-wide collaboration: participating in whole-garden projects, seasonal workdays, and other shared efforts coordinated by the Head Gardener.
WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR
- A bachelor's degree in Horticulture, Botany, Plant Science, or a related field is preferred. Candidates without a formal degree who can demonstrate equivalent experience in plant identification and curated garden work will be considered.
- Physical readiness is essential: this role requires stamina and comfort working outdoors in all conditions. The field work is demanding and it is daily.
- Strong botanical curiosity and plant identification skills. Familiarity with woody plants, herbaceous perennials, and rare species from Mexico, Texas, or the American South is a meaningful plus.
- An appreciation for the artistic and aesthetic dimensions of garden stewardship alongside botanical science, and the ability to see and care for the garden the way John Fairey saw it.
- Working knowledge of, or willingness to learn, collections management tools including IrisBG and ArcGIS.
- Ability to work independently with accountability and as part of a small, collaborative team.
COVER LETTER
In your cover letter, we want to understand not just your technical background but how you think about plants and gardens. Please speak to your hands-on experience in garden work and plant identification, and tell us how you approach the relationship between horticultural excellence and aesthetic integrity. We are looking for someone who connects with the conservation responsibility this role carries: caring for a collection with documented history and provenance, where what is lost may not be recovered. Candidates who can speak to both the science and the beauty of what they care for will stand out.
COMPENSATION & LOCATION
This is a salaried, full-time, on-site position. Paid vacation and sick days after one year of employment.
The John Fairey Garden is located at 20559 FM 359 Road, Hempstead, TX 77445.
Job Type: Full-time
Pay: $42,000.00 - $45,000.00 per year
Ability to Commute:
- Hempstead, TX 77445 (Required)
Ability to Relocate:
- Hempstead, TX 77445: Relocate before starting work (Required)
Work Location: In person
