Find a Gardener

Finding a gardener

Finding the right tradesman for a gardening project can be a difficult process. You need to have confidence that your choice has the right skills and experience to suit your needs. Plentific can help you narrow down your search by generating a bespoke list of the best tradesmen in your local area that offer gardening services. It also gives you quick access to customer reviews for each of your options to help you make the right choice.

What do you need to think about when finding a gardener?

One thing that you should always keep in mind when looking for tradesmen is to check that they are properly qualified. A gardener does not ‘need’ qualifications to practice, but a top candidate will have several years of experience at the very least. They may have completed an apprenticeship or another industry-approved course, such as those offered by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS). Some of the best candidates may also belong to a national tradesmans’ organisation, such as the ‘Gardeners’ Guild’. These groups have high entry standards (often requiring specific level qualifications) and members will be expected to always deliver top notch work.

A high quality gardener will also have plenty of positive customer reviews to share with you. These are useful not just for finding out about a Pro’s quality, but also how they work on the job: is this gardener happy to answer questions about plants and garden care? Do they arrive and complete work on time? Needless to say, a candidate that cannot provide customer reviews for you to check is not worth considering!

What does a gardener do?

A gardener is an expert in keeping the world green: they are specialists in all things relating to garden upkeep, from laying new turf to creating brand new flower beds. Gardeners are often hired for regular jobs, such as hedge trimming, lawn mowing and general garden maintenance.

Importantly, gardeners are also experts on proper plant care. If you are starting a garden for the first time, or if you are looking for a certain type of plant (such as one that requires barely any maintenance), then a gardener is the perfect Pro for helping you get things sorted.

How much does a gardener cost?

The cost of hiring a gardener can vary quite considerably depending on where you live in the UK. Most gardeners charge an hourly rate and because rates vary from region to region, a gardener's costs in one part of the UK could be much smaller or larger than another's elsewhere. Another important factor is the complexity of the work. While standard jobs like garden maintenance or lawn mowing will carry smaller hourly fees, more complicated jobs such as hedge trimming may cost more. Generally, you could expect to pay between £15 and £50 per hour for a gardener. Be careful when hiring a gardener for smaller jobs, as certain candidates may have a minimum callout charge of around 2-3 hours' worth of fees.

One thing that you should be aware of is that gardening is an extremely labour intensive job. In other words, if you can take on some of the work yourself and cut down on the necessary man hours, you could stand to save a lot of money on your quote. Ask for a price breakdown and try to spot any jobs which you could do yourself, such as clearing away rubbish.