Employment

Employment

Updated Note as of January 11, 2026— Job application review and appointments to tour the greenhouse and have conversations about 2026 roles will begin taking place in earnest mid-January 2026.

Thank you for your interest in Thomsens Garden Center.  We are always seeking happy people, to work with other happy people and, of course, our plants.  Voted “Best of Central MN” for several years in a row is an indication of our team and our customers!  If you’re interested, we’d love to hear from you. Don’t wait until May; we typically try to hire for positions in January – March when we are less busy and have more time for an adequate conversation with you!

Positions can range from part time seasonal to full time year-round, dependent upon the needs of the candidate and the business. The seasonal positions typically begin in March (Production), April (Cash Register, Various Sales roles, Trees & Shrubs, Yard, Re-stock) or late May (Gardening) and continue through early summer (late summer for gardening). If you are interested in being part of a team with the reputation as an industry leader, this may be the opportunity for you. Click the Application button below to begin the process.

Benefits– Seasonal employees receive employee discount benefits, as well as paid time off per the MN Earned Sick and Safe Time (ESST) rules. Part-time year round employees receive employee discount benefits, ESST, and paid time off after six months of employment. Full-time year round employees receive employee discount benefits, ESST, and paid time off after three months of employment. Year-round employees can also qualify for SIMPLE IRA match.

You don’t have to be a plant expert to work with us, but a positive attitude is a MUST.  We’ll train the rest. As we say, getting your foot in the door is the hard part.  Once you’ve shown us what you can do, you are free to work across any of our departments, should the need arise.

While the role descriptions below are more suitable for the busier spring and summer seasons, we  are always willing to take and review applications for them (existing role descriptions updated as of January 11, 2026, more to come soon):

* IMMEDIATE OPENING (Jan 11, ’26)– Part-Time Facilities Maintenance Lead, Year-Round– Position takes the lead on many annual/regular equipment, facility and yard maintenance routines and other ad-hoc requests. You will need to become comfortable with what can be a fast paced environment, along with priorities that can quickly change. Help is available when requested/needed to fulfill tasks.  Ability to run a bobcat and a forklift is required, for moving material, unloading and loading trucks, maintaining the property, etc. A can-do attitude with minimal supervision is necessary to satisfactorily accomplish the duties of the role.  You will be on your feet the majority of the day. A typical work week is 24 hours; the role can be flexible as to which days are worked so long as the work load is kept up. There will be certain weeks where four days may be necessary, and others where less is ok. You will typically not be asked to work weekends, unless you are wanting to fill one of the other non-maintenance roles. Overtime eligible, but not typical in this role. Rates start at $17/hr. Typical work hours are 8:00-4:30, but some assignments will require an earlier start. Benefits as stated above.

* Seasonal Cash Register / Retail Checkout Specialist– Cash register processing, customer cart organizing and box-up, customer inquiries, occasional sweeping, watering and plant maintenance in retail space. Positions typically run from mid-April through mid-June, but can extend further into the year if interested (Retail is open 7 days a week from April 1st until Halloween). Familiarity with plant material, along with some cash register and customer service experience is a helpful start. You will be on your feet the majority of the day, and the environment can be warm. You will almost always work in tandem with a retail team member, you will be in constant communication with our customers, along with regular usage of our hand-held walkie-talkies to communicate with Thomsens staff, so bring your confident voice, smile and don’t be shy! As a new retail employee you typically work during the week when customer traffic is lower to gain process and product familiarity, but may on occasion be asked to work a weekend day, especially in May. You will need to become comfortable with a fast pace, distracting and noisy environment, completing register transactions quickly and accurately. A typical work week might be 16-24 hours but could be as many as 40 hours if that is agreeable to both parties (overtime eligible). Rates start at $14/hr. Typical store hours are 9-5, so shifts are typically 8:45 or 8:30 to 5:15 or so.  During May, we are open weekdays until 8PM, so a closing retail staff is brought in from 4:00-8:00pm those evenings and is an option for gaining more hours.

* Seasonal Sales Associate, Annuals & Perennials– Are you very familiar with annuals or perennials, and like to work with customers one on one? Our seasonal sales associate role may be right for you! Positions typically run from mid-April through mid-June, but can extend further into the summer. You will be tasked with answering customer questions, providing plant knowledge, and offering alternatives when necessary (having knowledge of our other offerings such as our pottery / hardgoods, bagged and bulk product, trees and shrubs is a bonus and will be acquired during the process). Rest assured, experienced Thomsens staff is always a “walkie-talkie away” if you are unsure of a customer’s question. You will be on your feet the majority of the day, and the environment can be warm. You will typically be asked to work the busiest days of the week (Thursday – Sunday), but during our busiest period in May there is a need every day. A typical work week might be 16-24 hours but could be as many as 40 hours if that is agreeable to both parties (overtime eligible). Rates start at $14/hr.

* Seasonal Production– Roles include a variety of tasks including pot and flat filling and moving; planting; occasional watering and otherwise maintaining plant material, and regular cleanup of the workspaces. The role also includes the restocking of materials in the retail space from the growing range; this is typically in late April through May when customer activity is at its peak. The role requires the ability to listen and learn, be flexible to changing demands, work as a team, etc. The more dependable you become, the more your role will expand! And the fun part is that role duties change often, almost weekly, as the season progresses, so you will never be bored! Positions typically run from March through the end of May or early June, but can extend further into gardening installs and maintenance and taking care of other plant offerings during the summer and fall if interested. The role occasionally requires lifting items up to 25 lbs. You will be on your feet the majority of the day, and the environment can be warm. During the busiest time of year (May) you will most likely need to work at least one weekend day per week to help with restocking and plant maintenance. A typical work week might be 16-24 hours but could be as many as 40 hours if that is agreeable to both parties (overtime eligible). This role can be great for PSEO or college students who have reasonably dependable availability; we will work with you! Rates start at $14/hr.

* Seasonal Yard / Tree & Shrub Sales– Role requires at least a basic to mid-level knowledge of trees and shrubs being offered to the consumer. Ability to answer customer questions or be resourceful is necessary. Educational materials on our offerings are provided. The role typically includes running a bobcat for mulch, compost or similar customer orders, but it is not required for the right candidate. The “busy time” for tree & shrub sales roles typically runs from late-April through mid-June when yard staffing is needed daily, but yard/sales staff is also needed until late September for sure, typically Thursday-Sunday. The role can also include being involved in the potting and yard setup of such material when it arrives (mid-April), as well as customer installs, if interested. The role can require lifting of trees and shrubs into customer vehicles as well as moving them within the yard; a forklift and other team member assistance is available when necessary. You will be asked to water and provide plant maintenance as well; support will be provided during the busiest times. You will be on your feet the majority of the day. You will most likely need to work at least some weekend days during the busiest periods. A typical work week might be 12-24 hours but could be as many as 40 hours if that is agreeable to both parties (overtime eligible). Rates start at $15/hr.

* Summer Gardening / Production Support– This role is a great way to get started with our work team. You’ll be asked to do a variety of tasks, and will have supervision throughout. Tasks will include work at customer gardens (installs and maintenance), as well as work in and around the greenhouse facility (planting, weeding, watering, moving materials, cleanup, etc). The more dependable you become the more variety of work you will get to take on, including working on the retail side of the business. The role occasionally requires lifting items up to 50 lbs. You will be on your feet the majority of the day, and the environment can be warm. During the busiest time of year (May) you will most likely need to work at least one weekend day per week. A typical work week might be 24 hours but could be as many as 40 hours if that is agreeable to both parties (overtime eligible). Rates start at $13/hr.

* Seasonal Facilities Support– Detailed description to follow, see Facilities Maintenance Lead job description above for a taste of the role.  Majority of hours needed are during mid-February thru mid-June time period as buildings are placed back on-line and materials arrive and need to be placed. Can be combined with other roles (usually production or yard support) to earn more hours. Rates start at $15/hr.  Overtime eligible.

* Seasonal Restock (May)– Detailed description to follow. Can be combined with other roles to earn more hours. Rates start at $13/hr.  Overtime eligible.

* Seasonal Tree/Shrubs/Yard Support– Assisting with re-stock, product placement, watering, weeding of yard, etc. Detailed description to follow. Rates start at $13/hr.  Overtime eligible.

* Seasonal Cash Register / Retail Checkout Specialist– May Weekday Closing Shifts– This role is a carve-out necessitated by the longer retail hours in May; see related role description above. Available shifts are Mon-Fri in May.  Minimum daily shift is 4:00-8:00PM (8:15 with close-down procedures); can be extended to 3-8, 2-8, or 12-8. Occasional shorter-length shift exceptions (such as 5-8 or 6-8) can be made for extenuating circumstances, but is not ideal.

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