Going rate to pay a gardener?

Squiggly_Diddly

Hi,

I am thinking of advertising in the friday-ad or similar as I would really like someone to help me (ok, do completely....) in my garden. I have 100ft & don't have the time/energy/knowledge to do it. (2 jobs, 3 kids, single parent, f/t student, etc!). My ex does mow it so wouldn't need that doing. I've also had some help from my cousin to landscape some of it, to create gravel covered areas, and a path to the end, so I have got rid of some lawn - trying to make it as low maintenance as possible

So ideally I want to find someone, maybe retired?, who enjoys pottering in the garden, and has a good knowledge of plants, garden jobs, and so on, to build up some borders, maybe a vegetable patch, plant up hanging baskets in the spring, do maintenance like pruning, etc. I suppose the sort of thing my grandad would have helped me with.

I was thinking a couple of hours or so a week, with maybe some extra at key times of the year. I have no idea what sort of hourly rate to pay - was going to ask for references etc too. Don't want to be taking advantage of someone, nor can I afford very expensive... Would probably say they could take half the veg grown as well, as we wouldn't eat it all, but would be nice to be a bit OS in that area.

Any suggestions/help much appreciated.

[Deleted User]

I have a gardener starting this week. :j He'll charge me £25 each time (roughly 2 hours worth of work, he said 'however long it takes to do the whole garden') and will come every fortnight. I know he is a good gardener because my neighbours use him. I think that it's a good rate for London because other people I had rung wanted £20 an hour.

Lurkio

Van1971 wrote: »

I have a gardener starting this week. :j He'll charge me £25 each time (roughly 2 hours worth of work, he said 'however long it takes to do the whole garden') and will come every fortnight. I know he is a good gardener because my neighbours use him. I think that it's a good rate for London because other people I had rung wanted £20 an hour.

Which area of London? We have to admit defeat and get some help with ours......

Squiggly_Diddly

£20 an hour??? wow, glad I don't live in London.... Am down on the south coast.

I was thinking weekly between now & around October, then drop to fortnightly over the winter. Am creating an appealing sounding ad now No-one I know round here has a gardener so can't get any recommendations. But will ask for referees & definitely check them out - plus interviewing is a good way to see if you want someone in your garden, lol!

pookienoodle

Why not ask if you can put an ad up in your local garden centre as well.

elsien

We're in the midlands, and my gran used to pay £10 per hour to a complete charlatan. The new chap ( older bloke who just looks after 1 or two gardens to keep himself busy) wouldn't accept more than £8 an hour, for a couple of hours a week.

Squiggly_Diddly

Garden centre, that's a good idea, hadn't thought of that (d'oh!). And Elsien, that sounds like exactly the sort of person I'm after! Shame it's so far away...!!

square_bear

A friend of mine does gardening work. His customers are mainly elderly people.
He gets some work by putting a postcard in the window of the newsagents and he also gets some work by word of mouth.

[Deleted User]

Lurkio ~ I am in North London

gb57

It partly depends on where you live - round here (SW London) £20 an hour is probably about right.

Nice idea if you can find someone who is retired and doing gardening for the love of it and a bit of extra money - however, I think they are few and far between nowadays.......

I would look on notice boards in local shops/local garden centre/DIY centres eg B&Q), to see if you can find ads placed by people who are keen. Good luck

garden_expert_2

hello squiggly diddly

Gardeners in E Sussex usually charge between £10-20 per hour for private customers. A gardener with more experience can do the job in less time, so you tend to get what you pay for, in my opinion. Cash in hand people may charge less, but for someone who is legitimate (and insured), it's usually about £15.

I know this because I am a gardener (indoors today due to south coast storms). I'm not sure that many gardeners would be checking the Friday Ad 'Wanted' sections, but a number of gardeners looking for work usually advertise their services there. I get most of my work through word of mouth and neighbours who see the results, so you could try asking neighbours and friends if they know of anyone.