How much would a Gardener cost?

glasgowdan

You are living in a dream world with out-of-date opinions, I guess if you're retired you may have grown up with these kind of ideas about low jobs such as gardeners. Things have moved on, you can't live on minimum wage. No need for your armchair internet attitude towards professionals!

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Knew that would drag one out of the woodwork.
All I said in the last post applies equally to you, more so seeing that that was your first post.

I also suggest you read the bit at the front of the forum about Forum etiquette, you seem to have missed that bit.

I offer my views you offer yours.

You clearly have a real problem with people nicking your business,
and if you speak to them like you've just addressed me, and insert suppositions that have no substance, then I'm not surprised.

The fact that in this case it actually isn't rocket science, it's cutting grass etc, means the door is wide open to money saving alternatives, so tough up.

And by the way, if a B&Q £89 special does the job, what's your issue, , that's sad.

The_Pro

I suggest you stick to what you know rather than spout inaccurate, arm chair drivel. Also, I suggest you have far too much time on your hands given all your comments.

Would love to see your business plan, that would ensure you could run a business when people only pay YOU NMW. This is totally different scenario when you are self employed vs employed.

You seem to be endorsing the black economy, thereby reducing legitimate income tax being paid and hence will come back to hit you when pensions cant be increased due insufficient funds.

No, I wouldn't speak to my customers in a similar manner because they are not cheap skates who sit around on here all day 'holding court'. They value a service, delivered by someone with skill, trained, insured, CRB checked, trained and cares.

Go volunteer, go help you neighbours, go check they are ok (by the way that's a by-product of my job - I get to meet some wonderful retired people who I look out for) just do something more productive than talk down a whole industry with mindless drivel.

cyclonebri1 wrote: »

Knew that would drag one out of the woodwork.
All I said in the last post applies equally to you, more so seeing that that was your first post.

I also suggest you read the bit at the front of the forum about Forum etiquette, you seem to have missed that bit.

I offer my views you offer yours.

You clearly have a real problem with people nicking your business,
and if you speak to them like you've just addressed me, and insert suppositions that have no substance, then I'm not surprised.

The fact that in this case it actually isn't rocket science, it's cutting grass etc, means the door is wide open to money saving alternatives, so tough up.

And by the way, if a B&Q £89 special does the job, what's your issue, , that's sad.

cyclonebri1

You two have failed to get either of my earlier posts.
Nowhere did I state any one should have to live on minimum wage, but it escapes you that some do have to. My wife for instance works for not a lot more than min wage, fortunately she isn't in it for the money, comradeship and a sense of purpose are sometimes more important, hence the suggestion of an oap who probably needs the same.

I don't have an issue with professionals of any persuasion, but if there is a safe and more economical option, then I will give it.
What I do have a problem with is a pro who can't accept that.


But the main thing is I never said professional gardeners should pay minimum, wage, but I know some do.

What I did advice the OP was that there are alternatives to a pro gardener. You both seem unable, for pretty obvious reasons, to accept that.

Oh pro man, allegedly, (I can make up stuff too if you like) you haven't a clue how I spend my time so don't try and guess, but for a pro garden man, it's you that seems to have too much spare time.

Cut the personal stuff or it gets reported as abuse.

Sashara86

blueeye wrote: »

I need to get a gardener to come in once a week as I have just simply run out of time to keep it in order, not that its a fantastic garden but someone to do the mowing and weeding and cutting back etc.

How much do should I pay someone to do this?

It depends on how much work they need to do. Usually gardeners work by the hour. I would shop around a little maybe the most you will pay is 15-30 a week.

HelenR1987

I know someone who does it around my area. He charges £10-£15 an hour depending on what exactly needs doing and whether it is a regular thing or a one off

DaftyDuck

As far as cyclonebri1's gardening knowledge goes, he hadn't ever met cleavers as a weed! :eek:

I'd rather have a gardener - and take advice on gardening - from someone who knew a little about plants and weeds, personally.

Leif

DaftyDuck wrote: »

As far as cyclonebri1's gardening knowledge goes, he hadn't ever met cleavers as a weed! :eek:

I'd rather have a gardener - and take advice on gardening - from someone who knew a little about plants and weeds, personally.

Sadly most if not all the 'professional' gardeners my late mother employed were decidedly ignorant, and some did not know the basics e.g. how to prune a shrub and what not to put on a compost heap.

The_Pro wrote: »

I suggest you stick to what you know rather than spout inaccurate, arm chair drivel. Also, I suggest you have far too much time on your hands given all your comments.

Would love to see your business plan, that would ensure you could run a business when people only pay YOU NMW. This is totally different scenario when you are self employed vs employed.

You seem to be endorsing the black economy, thereby reducing legitimate income tax being paid and hence will come back to hit you when pensions cant be increased due insufficient funds.

No, I wouldn't speak to my customers in a similar manner because they are not cheap skates who sit around on here all day 'holding court'. They value a service, delivered by someone with skill, trained, insured, CRB checked, trained and cares.

Go volunteer, go help you neighbours, go check they are ok (by the way that's a by-product of my job - I get to meet some wonderful retired people who I look out for) just do something more productive than talk down a whole industry with mindless drivel.

A few points. In South Devon, Brixham to be precise, gardening is a low pay trade, and many of those who do it do not know much about gardens. My late mother employed one 'professional' gardening company who advertised in the local paper, and they were crooks who stole plants and left weeds, for the sum of £100. I do regret not having called the police to deal with them. Another chap ripped mum off, and related to one of the carers who would visit in the evening. When the carer found out, she was livid, and gave him an earful. I tried to do as much as I could, partly because I liked doing it, and partly to help her out. Unfortunately in that area a lot of the 'gardeners' were chancers and crooks, possibly because anyone can claim to be a gardener, and people like my late mother, with poor eyesight and paraplegic, are easy targets. I suspect good ones are able to charge a good amount, whereas those who just cut the grass and pull weeds charge the NMW.

My neighbour is a landscape gardener, and very nice indeed. I suspect she charges a decent whack, as she knows her onions, literally. The lovely old dears on the corner have a gardener, and very good he is too. Not sure how much they pay, but I'd guess not more than £10. A woman at the end of the close asked me if I was a gardener, as I was, errr, gardening. I said no, and she explained she was finding it hard to find a gardener. The chap who does the old dears' garden was too busy to help her.

I tend to agree with cyclonebri1 (is he fond of Dyson's ?) that someone who is retired would do a few hours a week, for perhaps £10 an hour, to top up their pension. Just look at Sainsburys, the checkouts are packed with elderly people, past retirement age.

Oh, and as for the black economy, I have nothing against an old lad (or dear) earning £30 a week cash in hand for gardening. I know it's wrong, but come on, it's pocket money. The real problem is professionals who diddle the tax office, and hence us. My late mother had a few pros dodge tax on jobs. One builder charged about £2K for some work, and asked her to make out cheques to people he owed money to. Maybe Brixham is a black spot for it, but I suspect not.

cyclonebri1

DaftyDuck wrote: »

As far as cyclonebri1's gardening knowledge goes, he hadn't ever met cleavers as a weed! :eek:

I'd rather have a gardener - and take advice on gardening - from someone who knew a little about plants and weeds, personally.

This is thread about economics, the OP does not have a specific problem, simply wants a someone to "tend" the garden.


I could look up Cleavers and spout it verbatim in this thread, but you are right, I don't, and I'd guess that the duty guy a pro would round wouldn't do either.

When is someone going to grasp the fact that this forum is about saving Joe Public money?.
If you want green trade discussions, go to a pure gardening forum.

Yep, the highlighted bit is correct, think retired chap, gardened all his life, now just needs a little work to keep him active?

aardvaak

I charge a local business £7 per hour - am I too cheap?

pinkcandyflossprincess

Leif wrote: »

One builder charged about £2K for some work, and asked her to make out cheques to people he owed money to. Maybe Brixham is a black spot for it, but I suspect not.

Leif I lived in Brixham for many years, I think the problem is because a lot of people retire to Devon, you do get a lot of people who prey upon the older clients so sure in some aspect it attracts these type of rouges. saying that my moms chap does his next doors gardening, guttering , general handywork for free...because shes old and he was obviously brought up to help his neighbours so there are a few gooduns there:o