Garden maintenance may seem like a daunting task, but it can actually be quite easy with a little planning. First, it is important to have the right tools. A good quality shovel, rake, and hoe will make the job much easier. Second, it is important to know what plants you are working with. Some plants require more care than others, and it is important to research their needs before getting started.
Finally, once you have the tools and knowledge you need, regular garden maintenance simply requires some basic tasks such as weeding, watering, and pruning. By taking care of your garden on a regular basis, you can ensure that it remains healthy and beautiful for years to come.
What Does Regular Garden Maintenance Include and How Much Does it Cost?
Every homeowner craves a beautiful and well-maintained garden, shaped lawn, and stunning landscape. So far so good, but let’s be honest, gardening is an arduous, time-consuming chore, and sometimes it can get really dirty. Besides the intensive labor, gardening duties may require some tools and equipment that not everyone would have on hand. Also, we should mention garden waste removal, which is something not every garden owner can always handle.
These days, garden maintenance prices in the UK are not so unaffordable, and if we think about the financial value that a well-kept and landscaped garden adds to our property, the gardening prices would seem quite acceptable to us.
So, if you’re wondering how much a gardener costs and what the gardening service prices are, then keep on reading, and you’ll get to know what exactly regular garden maintenance includes and how much it will cost you.
Firstly, we should clarify one thing, how much gardeners charge per hour depends on two things – the gardening tasks the gardener will face and the size of your garden.
So if you are wondering:
- What services are included in regular garden maintenance;
- How much hiring a gardener will cost you;
- How often you’ll need that service;
Then keep on reading, as we’ll cover all of this.
What does garden maintenance include and how much it’ll cost you?
If you’re about to hire gardeners, make sure to familiarize yourself with the services they offer and decide what kind of work your garden needs.
It’s good to mention that a reliable gardener can do a lot of hard work and will be able to perform any gardening service, from maintenance to garden improvements. Anyway, any beginner gardener, who of course will be the cheapest solution, should be able to do simple tasks, such as lawn mowing, leaves raking, etc. It’s up to you – do you need help with some simple lawn mowing jobs, or do you want an experienced gardener to help you plan your garden and even mentor you? Now, you see that gardener prices can vary a lot and there’re so many decisive factors on the matter.
Before we dive into the services included in the regular garden maintenance, let’s mention one last thing – you can’t expect a gardener to do all the jobs that a landscaper would do, be it patio laying or fence building, these are two different fields of expertise. So, what does regular garden maintenance includes:
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- Lawn care
Besides lawn mowing, that service may include edging, watering, clipping removal, and leaf blowing. As most gardeners have hourly rates, the price alters depending on the size of the lawn and how overgrown it is. If you opt for a professional garden maintenance service, the gardeners will bring a high-quality lawnmower, which will make the process quicker.
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- Weeding
That’s a pretty straightforward service, but let’s now forget that most of the process is done manually. It includes the removal of weeds from lawns and flowerbeds, and the price depends on the time that the job would take and whether you want a weed killer application or not.
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- Trimming trees and hedges
That service aims to maintain the aesthetics of your hedges, shrubs, and trees and keep their shape in a presentable state. In some cases, the removal of diseased foliage might be required, as well as cutting branches to stimulate growth. How much do gardeners charge for this service? Well, it depends on the number and length of the hedges and height of the trees, as well as the complexity of the task. Also bear in mind that different species of hedges should be trimmed and pruned at different times of the year. Note that for taller trees, the help of a certified tree surgeon should be required, which is a completely different service.
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- Other garden improvements
These additional jobs can include planting or replanting some plants, window box installation, turf repair, etc. Since these are a bit time-consuming and require some technical skills, the gardener’s hourly rate will depend on the complexity of the job, the tools needed, and of course the planting materials.
Other factors that may affect the garden maintenance price
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- Garden size
As we’ve mentioned above, the garden maintenance cost per hour highly depends on the area size, since this is the main factor in how much it will take the gardener to perform the service.
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- Garden condition and debris removal
If you haven’t maintained your garden in a long time and it’s overgrown, well then, gardening charges will be a bit more than if the area was well-kept. Not only will it take the gardener more time to complete the job, but he’ll need some special tools to saw, cut, and clear the area. Then, the gardener will need more time to collect and dispose of all the clippings and debris.
If you have some exotic plants that are not native, their maintenance may require frequent weeding, pruning, and even fertilizing. On the other hand, native, especially deciduous plants may cause more trouble than non-native varieties during the cold seasons. So, the gardener’s cost can vary a lot because of these factors.
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- Materials and the equipment needed
Let’s clarify that some special and additional tasks that require extra materials, such as a weed killer, mulch, or decks to build raised beds are unlikely to be included in the gardener rates. Some design-requiring tasks and others that need specific equipment and technical skills can be hard labor for the gardener, and vary in cost as well.
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- Difficulty and number of tasks
If you have dozens of topiaries in your garden rather than just a lawn that needs to be weeded, then the labor intensifies, which will also influence the hourly gardening rate.
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- Seasonality
During the cold seasons, the gardening tasks will slightly decrease, yes, your garden will still need some attention, but not as much as in summer. Besides that, the gardener’s availability and demand can change through the seasons, which can lead to fluctuation in gardening prices.
How often should the gardener come and when should I pay him?
Most gardeners and garden maintenance companies can provide a flexible schedule depending on your gardening needs. When starting with a new gardener, it’s vital to explain what exactly you want and expect him to do. If you consider regular garden maintenance, which can be weekly, fortnightly, or monthly, you should be aware that not every gardening work can be performed in bad weather, especially when raining. Once you share with the gardener your needs and expectations, depending on the size of the garden, he’ll help you estimate how often exactly you want him to come.
You also should agree with the gardeners about how and when they’ll be paid. Some gardeners and gardening companies prefer cash payment while others accept only to be paid by card. You should also be aware that any gardening goods, such as plants, seeds, etc. need to be paid extra, and the weekly/monthly payments may not be the same every time.
Why is regular garden maintenance important?
You may think that a great-looking garden with a lush lawn is worth it during the summer only, but this doesn’t mean that you don’t need garden maintenance in the cold season. To avoid having to deal with laborious and difficult gardening tasks when the spring comes, make sure you’re doing regularly some small tasks to make your summer work more manageable. Some leave raking, bush pruning and a light garden clearance can save you from having to pay lots to your gardener, once the gardening season comes.
Takeaways:
- How much gardeners charge per hour depends on two things – the types of gardening tasks they’ll be doing and the size of their garden.
- If you’re about to hire gardeners, make sure to familiarize yourself with the services they offer and decide what kind of work your garden needs.
- When starting with a new gardener, it’s vital to explain what exactly you want and expect him to do.
