Horticulture Internship

Job Description

Heritage Museums and Gardens in historic Sandwich, MA on Cape Cod offers horticulture internships for the summer season. Our internships offer students the opportunity to improve their horticultural knowledge and skills by learning all aspects of maintaining a public garden. Interns work directly with horticulture staff and are trained in a variety of tasks including planting, pruning, watering, and propagation.

About Us

At Heritage Museums & Gardens we celebrate the landscapes and culture of our region, and inspire people of all ages to explore, discover and learn together. We do this through excellence in horticulture, garden design, outdoor discovery, STEM education, and the exhibition of great collections.
Heritage Museums and Gardens is located on 100 acres of beautiful grounds and trails and has a rich history in horticulture. In 1921 Charles Dexter purchased the property and began his work hybridizing rhododendrons, a collection that is now mature and spectacular in bloom. In 1967 Josiah Lilly purchased the property and developed the former estate into a public museum and garden, preserving acres of native woodlands and the rhododendron collection. Our gardens also showcase an impressive and comprehensive hydrangea collection, a collection of over 1,000 varieties of daylilies, and more than a thousand varieties of trees, shrubs and flowers.

Duties & Responsibilities

Interns will be trained in and assist with planting, watering, weeding, mulching, fertilizing, pruning, dividing plants, propagation, plant documentation, labeling and identification, volunteer management, and other gardening duties as assigned.
Participation in weekly plant identification walks. Interns are required to learn approximately 150 woody and herbaceous plants using our extensive and mature plant collections.
Participation in informal lectures on subjects related to botanical/public garden operation, plant culture and landscape design.
Participation in field trips to selected public and private gardens.
Internships require the ability to lift items less than 50 lbs., work outside in the heat and variable outdoor conditions, and occasionally work on stepladders.
Interns may be required to work at least one weekend during the summer.

Education and Experience

HMG is seeking applicants who are pursuing a college degree in horticulture or a related field such as landscape architecture, plant science, botany, etc. Applicants should show an enthusiastic interest in expanding their knowledge of horticulture and public garden management. Successful candidates will possess a high degree of motivation, attention to detail, and great communication and teamwork skills. Prior horticultural experience is welcomed but not required.

Additional Information

Internships are typically 12-week positions that ideally begin early/mid-May and end mid-August. Start and end dates are flexible. Interns are scheduled to work 40 hours per week at an hourly rate of $18.00. A small housing allowance is also granted for students not from Cape Cod or southeastern Massachusetts.

https://heritagemuseumsandgardens.org/

Application Instructions

For the application, please submit a resume and cover letter by email along with any questions to Lillian Borbas, lborbas@heritagemuseums.org
Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, and the deadline is March 14, 2025, or until the positions are filled.