A tiny Cornish island is looking for a new gardener
A tiny island off the Cornish coast with its own castle is on the hunt for a new head gardener.
St Michael's Mount sits in Mount Bay, 500 metres from the Cornish mainland town of Marazion and is accessible by boat or a cobbled pathway at low tide. It boasts a castle straight out of a fairytale, medieval monastery and fortress, a port and a beautiful sub-tropical garden that needs a new caretaker.
The perfect candidate will need to be 'hands-on', have 'a good head for heights' and the agility of a 'mountain goat', according to the National Trust website, because they'll need to abseil down the side of the castle to tend to the steep terraced beds perched just above the sea.
In return, the new head gardener will be given a house on the island becoming part of a 'friendly island community population' of around 30 people who live there full-time.
Exotic plants abound, including the Medicago plant which appeared in the first Lady St Levan's wedding bouquet. She was a member of the Aubyn family who still live in the castle, working closely with the National Trust to preserve St Michael's Mount for future generations.
'Gardening on a rock in the middle of the sea isn’t for the faint-hearted, nor is abseiling from the battlements of a castle,' the job advert reads. 'But the Garden Team on St Michael’s Mount take all this in their stride as well as the general terrain which would challenge the most agile mountain goat.
'Beyond the physical challenges, the Garden Team are all passionate about the island’s unique garden and continue to develop the plant collection using species that thrive in one of the UK’s most challenging environments.
'The plant collection on the island has been honed since the Walled Garden was built in 1780, which now supports an array of herbaceous and tender perennials. Flanking the Walled Garden are the East and West Terraces that provide the aspect and protection to grow succulents like aeoniums, aloes, echeverias and sempervivums all year round.'
Current gardener Lottie Allen, who's leaving the island after five years to move to a National Trust property in the Cotswolds, told the BBC she 'will miss everything about this job'.
Ready to apply? You'll need to be quick, the deadline is Friday 7th June.
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