Job Description

Gardener Position

This position is designated as an "Emergency Essential Employee." The selectee will be required to work in emergency situations and in inclement weather conditions.

Tour of duty: Monday - Friday or Tuesday - Saturday, 6:30am -3pm

This Gardener acts as caretaker who maintains, protects, and preserves all assets of the Capitol Hill complex and landscape through the efficient use of allocated resources and sustainable practices. Also focuses on cleanliness and safety of the Capitol Complex. This includes but is not limited to picking up trash and debris, reporting any safety concerns and mitigating any safety hazards on the campus.

Transplants, Aerates, Prunes and Trims Plants

• Plants, transplants and cares for flowers, trees and shrubs. Trims, prunes and aerates plants and plant materials.
• Plants seedlings, bulbs, shrubs and trees in patterns, beds and selected locations to achieve a pleasing appearance of the gardens and grounds. Trims and prunes hedges, shrubbery and other plants.
• Cares for and maintains decorative plants in various rooms and courtyards of the Capitol Grounds. Waters and fertilizes plants and removes dead growth.
• Uses gas, electric and hand shears and pruning cutters to prune and trim to appropriate shape and size according to specific instructions. Uses appropriate pruning techniques to obtain desired configuration for the type of shrubbery in the garden plan. Checks foliage in surrounding areas to observe other plants to determine pruning requirements.

Selects, Measures, Mixes and Applies Fertilizers

• Recognizes and treats diseases, cold damage and mineral deficiencies. Chooses appropriate fertilizers. Replaces dead or dying plants.

Cultivates Soil and Propagates Plants

• Calculates quantities of plants, seeds, fertilizer and other materials needed for specific areas.
• Prepares soil from instructions on the proper mixture of such materials as sand, humus, topsoil and fertilizer. Places seeds and plants in soil at proper depth, taking care not to damage roots while transplanting.
• Selects, measures, mixes and applies chemical control agents and fertilizers using foliage feeding, root feeding and soil additive techniques. Roots, grafts, layers and documents soil beds, plants, seedlings, cuttings and seeds using knowledge of chemical composition, depth, moisture, temperature, humidity and ventilation requirements to encourage germination and growth.
• Assists with special event preparation for the wide variety of events that take place on Capitol Hill to ensure the gardens and grounds are kept to an exceptional service level.

Follows safety rules, regulations and standard operating procedures. Complies with OSHA safety rules and regulations to ensure that work progresses in a safe manner and use of any required Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Important Note: Must possess and maintain a valid state driver's license. If the required licenses or registration are not obtained within the time periods specified, the employee will be terminated for failure to meet the conditions of continued employment.

Applicants will be required to apply/register for a DC pesticide technician within the first 30 days of their employment if they do not possess an applicator's license. To apply pesticides in the District of Columbia (D.C.), employee must possess a valid D.C. pesticide applicator's license in categories (3A) exterior ornamental plants, (3B) interior plant-scapes and/or (3C) turf grass, dependent upon the pesticides used.

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