Gardener

Summary

**EXTENEDED CLOSING TO SEPTEMBER 9, 2026**

The Gardener serves within the Facilities Management Service at the Orlando VA Health Care System, performing skilled horticultural and grounds maintenance work to maintain safe, attractive, and functional landscaped areas throughout the campus. The position carries out routine planting, cultivating, pruning, mowing, fertilizing, irrigation repair, and landscape upkeep using established horticultural methods suited to Central Florida conditions.

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Duties

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Duties include, but are not limited to:

• Performs seasonal gardening tasks such as fertilizing, preparing seedbeds, transplanting, laying sod, aerating, pruning, trimming, and applying approved chemicals according to instructions.
• Mows lawn areas and ensures grounds remain aesthetically maintained through proper watering, cutting, fertilizing, and routine turf care.
• Plants, transplants, and fertilizes a variety of shrubs, flowers, grasses, and trees suited to the campus landscape.
• Considers seasonal schedules, weather conditions, soil moisture, and plant growth stages when determining timing and methods for gardening tasks.
• Calculates quantities of plants, seeds, fertilizers, and other materials needed for assigned work areas.
• Prepares soil using proper mixtures of sand, humus, topsoil, and fertilizers according to provided instructions.
• Places seeds, bulbs, and plants at correct depths to ensure proper establishment and prevent root damage; harvests, labels, and stores seeds and bulbs for future use.
• Trims and prunes trees, shrubs, and ornamental plants to maintain shape, remove excess growth, and support healthy development.
• Performs tree pruning to maintain balance between roots and upper growth and support overall plant health.

Work Schedule:

Tuesday to Saturday 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM, 3:00 PM - 11:30 PM, 11:00 PM - 7:30 AM or

Sunday to Thursday 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM, 3:00 PM - 11:30 PM, 11:00 PM - 7:30 AM or

Monday to Friday 7:00 AM - 3:30 PM, 3:00 PM - 11:30 PM, 11:00 PM - 7:30 AM

*Note-Exact TOD for this position will be discussed during the interview and may be adjusted to meet the facility/dept needs.

Compressed/Flexible Schedule: Not authorized

Position Description Title/PD#: Gardener/PD07501A

Requirements

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Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen to apply for this job
• Selective Service Registration is required for males born after 12/31/1959
• Subject to background/security investigation
• Pre-employment physical required
• Selected applicants will be required to complete an online onboarding process. Acceptable form(s) of identification will be required to complete pre-employment requirements ( Effective May 7, 2025, driver's licenses or state-issued identification cards that are not REAL ID compliant cannot be utilized as an acceptable form of identification for employment.
• Participation in the seasonal influenza vaccination program is a requirement for all Department of Veterans Affairs Health Care Personnel (HCP)

As a condition of employment for accepting this position, you will be required to serve a 1-year probationary period or 2-year trial period during which we will evaluate your fitness and whether your continued employment advances the public interest. In determining if your employment advances the public interest, we may consider:

• your performance and conduct;
• the needs and interests of the agency;
• whether your continued employment would advance organizational goals of the agency or the Government; and
• whether your continued employment would advance the efficiency of the Federal service.

Upon completion of your probationary period or trial period, your employment will be terminated unless you receive certification, in writing, that your continued employment advances the public interest.

Qualifications

To qualify for this position, applicants must meet all requirements by the closing date of this announcement, 09/09/2026.

EXPERIENCE: A specific length of training and experience is not required, but you must show evidence of training or experience of sufficient scope and quality of your ability to do the work of this position. Evidence which demonstrates you possess the knowledge, skills, and ability to perform the duties of this position must be supported by detailed descriptions of such on your resume. Applicants will be rated in accordance with the OPM Federal Wage System Qualification Standards.

SCREEN-OUT ELEMENT: Your qualifications will first be evaluated against the prescribed screen out element, which usually appears as question 1 in the on-line questionnaire. Screen out is the ability to perform Gardner duties without more than normal supervision. Duties include doing seasonal gardening, lawn mowing, planting a variety of of shrubs, flowers, grasses and trees, considering the seasonal schedules or project plans for the area, suitability of the weather, degree of moisture in the soil and stage of plant growth, figuring quantities of plants, seeds, fertilizer and other materials needed for specific areas, preparing soil from instructions on the proper mixture of such materials as sand, humus, topsoil and fertilizer, trimming and pruning trees, shrubs, flowers, etc. to shape and remove excess growth and adjusting irrigation, fertilization and mineral content of soil to meet the requirements and characteristics of each type of plant, tree, shrub, or grass. Those applicants who appear to possess at least the minimal acceptable qualification requirement are considered for further rating; those who do not are rated ineligible and are eliminated.

The potential eligibles are then rated against the remainder of the Job Elements:

• Dexterity and Safety
• Interpret Instructions, Specifications (other than blueprint reading)
• Materials
• Measuring Instruments
• Technical Practices
• Use and Maintain Tools and Equipment
• Without more than normal supervision

Experience refers to paid and unpaid experience, including volunteer work done through National Service programs (e.g., Peace Corps, AmeriCorps) and other organizations (e.g., professional; philanthropic; religions; spiritual; community; student; social). Volunteer work helps build critical competencies, knowledge, and skills and can provide valuable training and experience that translates directly to paid employment. You will receive credit for all qualifying experience, including volunteer experience.

Note : A full year of work is considered to be 35-40 hours of work per week. Part-time experience will be credited on the basis of time actually spent in appropriate activities. Applicants wishing to receive credit for such experience must indicate clearly the nature of their duties and responsibilities in each position and the number of hours a week spent in such employment.

Physical Requirements: Must be physically fit, as work requires prolonged periods of walking, standing, bending, stooping, pushing mowers, carts, edgers, wheelbarrows, etc. They must climb ladders in order to trim and prune. Employee must occasionally lift and carry heavy objects (weighing approximately 50 pounds) and frequently lift and carry moderately heavy objects weighing up to 40 pounds, such as bags of fertilizer containers of chemicals, trash bags, sod etc. Their work involves pulling, climbing and working with hands above the head.

Working Conditions:

Work is done outside or in a greenhouse. In working outside, the gardener is subject to discomfort from long periods in the hot sun, and sometimes to chilly or rainy weather. Being exposed to dirt, dust, mud, and sometimes to chemical sprays and dusts, they may wear protective clothing such as gloves, safety shoes, and boots. There is chance of minor injuries such as bruises, cuts, and scrapes and occasional possibility of broken bones from falls. Employee works with power equipment such as, but not limited to push mowers, power edgers, trimmers, chain saws, brush clippers, tractor mowers, street sweepers, etc. and is exposed to engine noise, heat and possible airborne debris.

Education

This job does not have an education qualification requirement.

Additional information

Receiving Service Credit for Earning Annual (Vacation) Leave: Federal Employees earn annual leave at a rate (4, 6 or 8 hours per pay period) which is based on the number of years they have served as a Federal employee.

This job opportunity announcement may be used to fill additional vacancies.

If you are unable to apply online or need an alternate method to submit documents, please reach out to the Agency Contact listed in this Job Opportunity Announcement.

Under the Fair Chance to Compete Act, the Department of Veterans Affairs prohibits requesting an applicant's criminal history prior to accepting a tentative job offer. For more information about the Act and the complaint process, visit Human Resources and Administration/Operations, Security, and Preparedness (HRA/OSP) at The Fair Chance Act.

Candidates should be committed to improving the efficiency of the Federal government, passionate about the ideals of our American republic, and committed to upholding the rule of law and the United States Constitution.

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A career with the U.S. government provides employees with a comprehensive benefits package. As a federal employee, you and your family will have access to a range of benefits that are designed to make your federal career very rewarding. Opens in a new windowLearn more about federal benefits.

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Eligibility for benefits depends on the type of position you hold and whether your position is full-time, part-time or intermittent. Contact the hiring agency for more information on the specific benefits offered.