Garden Center Manager - Horticulture Experience

Company Description Cayuga Landscape Co., Inc. is a fully stocked garden center and landscaping service serving customers in and around Ithaca in the Beautiful Finger Lakes region of NY state. The company offers a wide selection of plants, gardening supplies, and landscape materials for residential and commercial clients. In addition to retail offerings, Cayuga Landscape Co., Inc. provides professional landscape design, installation, and maintenance services. Team members work closely with customers to create healthy, attractive outdoor environments and provide knowledgeable, friendly service.

Pay: $25-$30 per hour, depending on experience.

Role Description The Garden Center Manager with Horticulture Experience position is a full-time, on-site role. This role oversees daily operations of the garden center, including supervising staff, coordinating schedules, and ensuring a clean, safe, and organized retail environment. The manager will assist customers with plant selection, gardening advice, and product recommendations, while maintaining plant health through watering, pruning, pest monitoring, and inventory rotation. Responsibilities include managing inventory and ordering, merchandising displays, monitoring sales performance, and supporting seasonal promotions. The role also involves training team members on horticultural best practices, providing exceptional customer service, and collaborating with landscaping teams as needed to support broader company services. Position is 10-12 months per year. One weekend day every week of the season is mandatory, this is non-negotiable.

Qualifications

• A degree in Horticulture or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated horticulture knowledge and hands-on experience with plant care, including perennials, annuals, shrubs, and trees of the Northeast. Plant identification skills.
• 5-10 years experience with retail horticulture management.
• Strong customer service skills, with the ability to advise customers on plant selection, garden design basics, and problem-solving for plant health issues.
• Proficiency in inventory management, ordering, and merchandising within a retail or garden center environment.
• Organizational and time-management skills to handle multiple tasks in a fast-paced, seasonal business.
• Ability to perform the physical aspects of the job, including lifting, standing, and working outdoors in varying weather conditions.
• Effective communication and teamwork skills, with a collaborative, inclusive, and respectful approach to working with colleagues and customers.
• Prior leadership experience and basic computer skills (e.g., point-of-sale systems, email, spreadsheets); familiarity with landscaping services is a plus.

Benefits

• Overtime pay in busy periods.
• Health insurance, employer pays 70% for the individual (dental/vision also available).
• Retirement plan, approximately 4% of salary, after first year.
• Vacation, 1 week in first year.
• Continuing education opportunities.
• Employee discount.
• Paid time off.

Applicants may submit resume and are requested to fill out and submit an application online at www.cayugalandscape.com