Otherwise, they might have to hire a bunch of child laborers to do it. Photo, circa 1910, courtesy of the Library of Congress.

If you’re logging all your leisure hours at the community garden and plants now take up more space in your living room than furniture, this gig may be for you. The NYC Parks Department needs a new gardener. For an annual salary $36,602-$52,680 a year, said individual will:

• Assist in and performs tasks such as digging up, balling, burlapping and transplanting trees and shrubs. Digs up and transplants sod. Pots flowers and plants. Propagates plant life.
• Assist in and performs tasks involved in maintenance and operations of greenhouses and nurseries.
• Assist in preparation of soil and seed beds. Receive training to grade, sod, weed, mulch and mow lawns. Assist in repairing damaged planted areas, fertilizing and watering soil.
• Assist in and perform tasks involved in the operation and care of hand and power gardening tools and equipment. Make necessary operating adjustments to same; report needs for repairs and replacements to supervisor.
• Perform simple record keeping and prepares simple written reports.
• Drive vehicles and operate other motorized equipment incidental to the performance of duties.
• May supervise seasonal employees, as well as volunteers.
• As directed, performs tasks in connection with cleaning of grounds and painting of fixtures and equipment.

You need either 1) at least a year of full-time gardening work, or 2) a horticulture certificate from the Brooklyn or New York Botanical Gardens or 3) 15 semester credits in horticulture, agriculture, agronomy, plant pathology, botany, landscape design or architecture, entomology, forestry, floriculture, plant production and/or crop management. Find the gardener job listing here.

Other parks jobs available: an administrative assistant for the Prospect Park Alliance, special events help (per diem) and a whole bunch of seasonal jobs starting in the $11 / hour range, which is better than those kids in the photo got paid.