SALARY: $25-$35 per hour + Performance Bonus!
Location: 1096 Derrien Pl, Victoria, BC
Grow More Than Plants. Grow People. Grow a Business.
At Down To Earth Gardens & Nursery, we believe great landscapes start with great people. We design, build, and maintain beautiful outdoor spaces, supported by our own retail nursery. We're looking for an experienced horticultural professional who loves helping customers, mentoring others, and sharing a passion for plants. If you're ready to lead without leaving the hands-on work behind, you'll fit right in.
About the Role
As our Nursery Lead, you'll be the face of the nursery. You'll combine horticultural expertise, customer service, and leadership to create an exceptional experience for every customer while guiding a small, passionate team. This role is ideal for someone who's spent years in the industry and enjoys teaching, advising, and helping people create beautiful gardens.
What You'll Do
As our Nursery Lead, You'll be the horticultural expert our customers trust, the leader our team relies on, and the person who keeps the nursery running efficiently behind the scenes.
Sales & Customer Experience
- Serve as the nursery's horticultural expert, helping customers choose the right plants for their gardens and landscapes.
- Deliver exceptional customer service by providing plant care advice and practical landscaping solutions.
- Build lasting customer relationships that encourage repeat business.
- Drive nursery sales through personalized recommendations and an engaging shopping experience.
- Handle customer inquiries, concerns, and special plant requests professionally.
Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, coach, and support a small team of passionate nursery staff.
- Train team members in horticulture, customer service, merchandising, and daily operations.
- Foster a positive, collaborative, and accountable workplace culture.
- Ensure safe and efficient operations while working closely with ownership to improve the nursery.
Nursery Operations
- Oversee the day-to-day operation of the nursery and retail store.
- Create attractive seasonal displays and maintain a clean, organized, and well-stocked nursery.
- Source, order, receive, and inspect plant material and nursery supplies.
- Perform hands-on nursery duties, including watering, potting, planting, weeding, pruning, and general plant care.
- Assist customers with loading purchases and maintain a safe working environment.
Inventory, Administration & POS
- Manage inventory, purchase orders, pricing, and product setup through the POS system.
- Monitor stock levels and maintain inventory accuracy throughout the season.
- Process inventory adjustments, plant loss declarations, and plant tagging.
- Ensure store supplies, cash floats, and daily operational needs are maintained.
- Identify opportunities to improve systems, workflows, and operational efficiency.
Marketing & Business Growth
- Support merchandising strategies and seasonal promotions that drive sales.
- Maintain and grow the customer database through the CRM and marketing initiatives.
- Source specialty plant material to fulfill customer requests.
- Contribute ideas that enhance customer engagement, nursery operations, and business growth.
What We're Looking For
- 5+ years' experience in a retail nursery, garden centre, or horticultural environment.
- Leadership or supervisory experience.
- Strong knowledge of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, and garden products.
- Excellent customer service, communication, and organizational skills.
- Experience with inventory management, POS systems, and Microsoft Office.
- A genuine passion for plants, people, and creating memorable customer experiences.
What We Offer
- $25–$30/hour (based on experience) + Performance bonuses
- Medical & Dental Benefits + Paid Time Off
- Ongoing horticultural & leadership training & Career growth opportunities
- 10% employee & family plant discount
Ready to Apply?
Send us your resume and a cover letter telling us:
- Why this opportunity excites you.
- Your favourite plant—and why.
- One fun or quirky fact about yourself.
Pay: $25.00-$35.00 per hour
Ability to commute/relocate:
- Metchosin, BC: reliably commute or plan to relocate before starting work (required)
Experience:
- Horticulture: 5 years (required)
- Team management: 4 years (required)
Work Location: In person
