Uttoxeter Online Magazine

Need a gardener?

If your garden needs time that you can’t give it or if you are finding that it is getting just too much for you to manage on your own, you may consider hiring a gardener to help your garden achieve its full potential.

 Firstly, you need to decide what tasks you would be looking for a gardener to do, whether it is just to mow the lawn and keep the garden generally tidy or whether you want someone to redesign and replant the whole garden. When speaking to potential gardeners it is important to be clear on what you are looking for from the start.

You then need to consider how often you want someone to come and tend the garden; this should realistically tie in with what you want the gardener to do. If you want someone for a couple of hours a week on a regular basis then this ties in with wanting the garden kept generally tidy. However, you may want someone on a one off basis for a big clear up or just for a few hours as and when needed.

A gardener will usually charge on an hourly basis and you can expect to pay around £10 to £15 per hour, dependant on the experience and popularity of the gardener. Remember that good gardeners are very busy and can usually pick and choose their clients and so there is little point in haggling. However, many gardeners do offer an OAP rate and if you fall into this category, it is always worth asking.

So, what should you be looking for in a gardener? Some attributes may be obvious, but there may be other things to consider that you may not think about until it causes problems. Let’s start with the obvious.

Someone who knows their stuff about gardens and plants is fairly obvious, and if you only need someone to mow the lawn an in depth knowledge of plants is not necessary, however, if you have a prized collection of unusual plants, you need to make sure that any gardener you take on understands how to care for these plants.

Reliability is important in any person you employ, so make things clear from the start and agree in advance when your gardener will come to you. Also ask that they telephone you if they need to change day or time.

It is your garden and it is important that you feel you can speak to your gardener, whether you need to ask advice or you want to ask them to do a particular job, so approachability is very important. Make sure that the person you employ is enthusiastic about your garden and how you want it to look and is also willing to discuss ideas with you.

Lastly, where can you find a gardener? Local papers and websites are useful as are parish magazines and garden centre notice boards, but word of mouth is probably best, especially if you know someone who is happy with their gardener. Remember, it is worth speaking to several gardeners and ensure you take on someone you feel comfortable with.

Written by IsisX

©IsisX, 2008