Gardeners Near Me
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Your garden is a sanctuary and an essential escape from the outside world where you can relax and take in the beauty of nature around you. However, the effort involved in maintaining a garden can sometimes be a tiring task – let alone sourcing a reliable gardener to take care of your outdoor property.
With the help of our guide, we can direct you to a professional gardener that’ll manage your plants, irrigate the soil, plant seeds, eliminate weeds or maintain your landscaping and design. Apart from all that, we’ll also touch base on all the factors you’ll need to consider in obtaining essential gardening services near you.
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First things first. When hiring a gardener, you end up saving time and money in the long run. You are not only paying a gardener for their work but also their knowledge and expertise. What you need to avoid is a service that doesn’t provide a full-scale range of solutions that cater to your specific gardening needs.
You’ll require someone who not only has a green thumb but also someone who has a hands-on approach, proven knowledge, creative output and a thoughtful process in heightening the appearance of your garden. Managing the look of your garden is one thing, but taking on the initial challenge of transforming it, requires a professional gardener that can translate your requirements with know-how.
What To Consider
Garden maintenance is a necessity, but not every homeowner has the time and/or skills to take on landscaping or even basic gardening projects. There are several service options available that may suit your gardening needs and can range from basic maintenance to intricate tree surgery.
But what are some of the most important factors you need to bear in mind when looking for a gardener?
1. Do they have any credentials? These aren't compulsory but it's a nice indication.
A professional qualification is helpful when sourcing a gardener. There are many different schemes under which a qualification can be recognised such as NQ, HND and RHS. A gardener with one or more of these qualifications is more than likely to present a desirable skill set.
Of course, there is more to gardening than qualifications. When looking for a gardener select the ones that list their tool selection and makes it easy for you to understand which services they specialise in.
A reliable gardener will also own a public liability insurance certificate, which would cover any damage they caused to your property. Safe contractor of CHAS accreditations and evidence of Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks are vital indications of a professional gardener.
2. Check for references
This is the most obvious factor to consider. The gardener you wish to hire should be able to provide you with either written testimonials or contact details of previous clients.
3. Negotiate A Reasonable Rate
Knowing what you require and what to ask for will make it easier to negotiate a rate. If you are initiating a regular job, it should be easier to establish a schedule and how you will be paying for the goods required to complete the job at hand. Will these be covered by a single fee or will they be itemised separately?
Once you’ve negotiated a rate based on what you require, you should establish how your gardener prefers to be paid. Some ask to be paid in cash, others will accept cheques or bank transfers.
Prepping For Gardening Services
A landscaping company or individual will want to complete its projects efficiently and on time, and therefore, will make every effort to finish your project in a set time frame. So before hiring a landscaper, consider the time frame in which you want your project to be completed.
Soil preparation is 80% of the work, so good soil preparation is key to the success of your garden, and in most cases, your landscaper should be spending a good proportion of their time digging up your existing garden to prepare the soil correctly.
Check if they have all the tools available for the job and that they have access to running water in your garden.
Gardener Services Explained
The gardener you choose should be experienced in keeping gardens healthy and productive. They would often be required to plant and maintain a good environment by watering, fertilizing, and even weeding the area. You may also seek a gardener to prune back some plants and may remove dead plants.
The following list is a look at all of the different landscaping, gardening and lawn care services that a gardener may offer:
- Hedge trimming or shaping.
- Lawn mowing and edging as well as feed and treat the grass.
- Weeding/preparing a new lawn or maintaining a lawn, removing dandelions, bindweed, brambles, couch grass and Japanese knots.
- Plants beds being tidied, deadheading and weeded with compost added.
- Patio and gutter cleaning.
- Cleaning or servicing pond.
- Seed and plant flowers.
- Create flower beds and borders.
- Water features, constructing a pond, fountain or a stream.
- Paving to create a patio area or a walkway.
- Cutting/felling and removing or relocating a tree.
- Pruning and trimming trees.
- General tree maintenance to keep the garden looking happy and tree healthy.
- Tree stump complete removal or grinding the stump down below the surface.
- Ivy removal or cut, trim and shape to encourage growth without structural damage.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Minimum average gardener: £14 per hour
- Maximum average gardener: £25 per hour
- National average for gardeners: £20 per hour
- Average gardening price range: £14 – £25 per hour
Qualifications to look for include RHS, City & Guilds/NPTC, Lantra, and qualifications from horticultural colleges.
Some gardeners also learn by working for more experienced gardeners, such as in a garden that’s open to the public. So it’s not just about the paper qualifications, but who a gardener has worked with or for.
Whether your garden needs a spot of weeding or a complete overhaul, finding the right gardener can help refresh your green space. Apart from that, you’ll need to ask the right questions to set the pace.
How often will you tend to the gardens?
Do you have any recommendations for my garden?
Is there anything I need to do for you?
Do you take your green waste with you?
Do you plant new plants?
What happens during winter?
Get up to three quotes – To protect yourself from being taken advantage of, we recommend getting quotes from more than one gardener. This ensures the quoted cost is in line with industry standards.