742 Gardeners

What does a Gardener do?

A Gardener is a professional expert on how to design and maintain a garden so that the plants thrive. A big part of this professional's responsibility is knowing when to plant what, as certain temperatures and conditions are more favourable for a plant to grow.

The maintenance part of a Gardener's work includes watering, fertilising, weeding, removing dead plants for compost, etc.

A Gardener may also hold various job titles such as nursery- or greenhouse worker / expert.

Why is it beneficial to hire a Gardener?

·  It keeps your yard neat. A perfectly manicured lawn is believed to be one of the English's obsessions.

·  It indulges you in grand designs for your garden. Some people have a creative streak when it comes to flora, yet lack the practical knowledge on how to grow them as required. Here is where a professional Gardener will make a difference.

·  It frees up your time. Having a trusted Gardener in charge of your yard saves you many hours of outdoor labour.

·  It leaves difficult areas to the experts. Tree maintenance is a specialist affair and should not be tampered with by novices. A specialist Gardener or tree surgeon is required to keep trees in top-notch shape.

·  Seasonal tidying. From piles of leaves in autumn to iced ponds in winter, a professional Gardener rolls with the seasons and keeps a yard looking neat all year round.

·  Take advantage of a kitchen garden. Don't have the time or skills to grow your own vegetables and fruits? A professional Gardener is perfect to oversee these from soil to table.

·  Neglected plants can thrive. You are not expected to know which soil your ornamental ferns prefer or how to keep a small orchard looking great. That's what the experts are for.

·  It enhances your garden features. From sprucing up your pergola to weeding your driveway, a Gardening team will take care of the lot.

·  Child/pet-proof your garden. From fencing your dogs in to tackling poisonous berries, Gardeners are trained to keep a garden neat and safe.

What will it cost to hire a professional Gardener?

As a Gardener trains to acquire the skills and knowledge to do their jobs properly (and there could be a certain danger involved with their work), the running costs of employing one could be just as high as any other professional trade - accountant, training, etc.

Most gardening services aim to earn a minimum of £150 a day, equaling about £20 - £40 per hour. However, this rate will be effected by:

·  Minimum call out charge. As a Gardener may charge by the hour instead of by the day, much of the day will include unpaid travel from job to job. Thus, a Gardener will likely have a minimum charge of two hours' labour or similar.

·  If you only want a simple job done (i.e. cutting the grass), your Gardener is likely to offer a fixed price for a specific job. A fixed price will vary according to the circumstances, resulting in the price having no relation to the Gardener's standard hourly rates.

·  The rate may increase for regional variations.

·  It could also be altered as the level of danger increases (i.e. working with poisonous plants).

A Gardener may also have one hourly rate for manual tools and another for petrol tools. This is due to the fact that maintaining petrol tools cost significantly more and allows a Gardener to work much faster.

How do Gardeners differ from Landscapers?

Gardening is focused on growing plants and keeping the area of the plants (garden, yard, lawn) looking neat and healthy. Gardening can range from tending to a single plant to an entire yard filled with various different plants, flowers, shrubs and trees. Gardening also includes activities such as pest control.

Landscaping is a more professional way of gardening and includes the design and construction of ponds, sculptures, or topiaries. The aim of landscaping design is to organise and enrich an outdoor space with plants, but also with additional man-made structures for aesthetic and/or practical purposes. A large-scale landscaping project could include public parks or recreational areas. Many landscaping companies offer gardening services.

How do I find the right Gardener?

homify has made searching for a Gardener in the UK easier than ever before. Our collections of professionals are grouped into different categories via job title (Landscape Architect, Interior Designer, etc.) and then clustered into further categories via location / city / town.

In addition, we also aim to provide as much information on each professional as possible, including contact details, website, images and details of past projects, and customer reviews.

Once you've located a potential Gardener for your project, keep the following in mind:

·         Check for qualifications

Qualifications to look for include RHS, City & Guilds/NPTC, Lantra, and qualifications from horticultural colleges. A lot of gardeners also learn their skills by working with more experienced gardening firms. Therefore, it's not only about the paper qualifications, but also the Gardener's practical skills.

·         Read online reviews on independent websites

Authentic client reviews on independent websites help to create a baseline of credibility, particularly for self-employed professionals.

·         Match up various quotes

Always draw up a shortlist consisting of at least three professionals and compare their quotations for your specific project. The rates may vary considerably based on the type of pro you hire.