Seemingly all modern homeowners yearn for picture-perfect outside spaces, complete with manicured lawns, lush gardens, and eye-catching features. The truth is that not everyone has the patience or interest to tend a garden. In addition to requiring a lot of physical labour, gardening tasks may also necessitate the use of specialised equipment that not everyone has lying around.
Given this, it’s easy to see how hiring a garden service might save time and effort. But before you make a final choice for your property, it’s vital to know: what precisely is garden upkeep and what it entails; whether gardeners are expensive, and more… I say, “Shall we?”
For what reasons is it crucial to perform garden maintenance on a regular basis?
You might believe that only the spring and summer months are appropriate for tending to your garden and lawn if you want them to look their best. In fact, you should maintain your garden and lawn even in the winter.
In fact, it’s essential to make sure you’re completing some modest jobs on a regular basis to avoid having to deal with arduous and tough gardening tasks when the weather starts to warm up. Both the amount of work you have to do this summer and the cost of hiring a gardener will be reduced if you do this now. Leave raking, bush trimming, minor garden clearance, and heck, even the odd lawn mowing all fall under the category of “little and frequent jobs.”
While we’re on the topic of garden maintenance, let’s talk about what to anticipate from a paid gardener.
What exactly is involved in garden upkeep?
Before bringing in professional gardeners, you should evaluate your outdoor space to determine the specific tasks that must be completed. It will make things easier all around if you do this, but if you are unsure about the latter, you can always ask for their advice.
As promised, here is a rundown of what most gardeners offer:
- In addition to mowing, lawn care may also entail trimming, watering, raking, and blowing leaves. Most gardeners charge by the hour, so the cost will vary based on the size and overgrowth of your lawn. If you hire gardeners to maintain your garden, they’ll bring a high-quality lawnmower to cut down on the time it takes.
- Weeding is a simple service, but keep in mind that the majority of the labour is performed by hand. Weeding is included, and the cost is based on the size of your lawn and flowerbeds, as well as how long it takes to complete and whether or not you want weed killer applied.
- When you trim your trees and hedges, you’re working to preserve their shape and improve their appearance. Some trees may need to have sick foliage pruned away, or have branches trimmed in order to promote growth. You may be wondering, “How much do gardeners charge for this service?” How long will it take? That depends on the size of the yard, the density of the trees and hedges, and the difficulty of the job. Keep in mind that different types of hedges have varied ideal pruning and trimming seasons. Take note that a distinct service, provided by a certified tree surgeon, is needed for trees of a certain height.
- Work in the garden that isn’t directly related to planting or replacing plants, installing window boxes, repairing turf, etc. Since these take some time and technical knowledge, the gardener’s hourly charge will change based on the scope of the project, the tools required, and the cost of the actual planting materials.
Where do gardeners and landscapers differ?
Let’s get something straight: a gardener is not expected to pave a patio or construct a fence in addition to gardening. Expertise in these areas is distinct from one another. There may be some overlap between the responsibilities of landscape architects and garden designers, but in general these two fields have distinct but complementary roles in the upkeep of outdoor areas.
As you can see from the aforementioned list of duties, a gardener’s work is primarily around plants. Planting and proper plant maintenance (trimming, watering, fertilising, and replanting) are the main concerns.
On the other hand, a landscaper’s duties revolve around preparation and construction. You may typically rely on such an expert for decking and paving installation, as well as numerous exterior repairs (fence, shed, or driveway related).
It seems like a garden would require a lot of money for upkeep, but how much is it actually?
Before we go any further, there are a couple of things we need to make clear. As a first point, it’s common practise in Dublin for professional gardeners to demand hourly pay. The second is that the size and complexity of your garden will play a role in how much a gardener will charge you each hour. But I’ll go into that further down the road.
It’s worth noting that the level of experience is a crucial factor that may influence the cost. While the services of a seasoned gardener may set you back more money, you can rest assured that they will be well worth it. A professional gardener can accomplish everything from routine maintenance to more involved landscaping projects.
While a green thumb may be less expensive, their skill set is likely restricted to lawn care and leaf removal.
The final cost depends on a number of factors, not the least of which is the amount of experience required.
Factors influencing the cost of gardening
- The size of the garden is the fundamental factor in determining how long it will take the gardener to complete the service, and hence the hourly rate for garden upkeep.
- The price of gardening services will vary depending on the state of the garden and the amount of trash that needs to be removed. If the garden has not been maintained for a long time and is very overgrown, the price will be higher. Because of the necessity to saw, cut, and clear the space, the gardener’s work will take longer and more specialised equipment. Then the gardener needs more time to collect the waste and dispose of it.
- Tell me about the plants you have in your garden. The upkeep of non-native exotic plants may require more frequent weeding, pruning, and fertilising than plants more suited to the Dublin climate. However, during the winter months, native plants, especially deciduous ones, may be more problematic than exotic ones. As a result, the price of a gardener might vary widely depending on a number of things.
- Supplies and machinery required Weed killer, mulch, or decks for raised beds are just a few examples of extras that aren’t likely to be figured into a gardener’s base charge. Hard work for the gardener may be required for some activities that require design and for others that require specific equipment and technical expertise, and these can also vary in price.
- The hourly rate of a gardener can be affected by a number of factors, including the complexity of the garden and the amount of jobs that need to be completed.
- During the winter months, there will be fewer gardening chores. There will still be some maintenance in the garden to do, but not as much as in the summer. In addition, gardening rates may shift with the seasons due to shifts in supply and demand for gardeners.
When should you get your garden cared for and when should you pay your gardener?
According to your gardening demands, most gardeners and garden maintenance firms may supply you with a flexible timetable. It is important to lay out your expectations for the new gardener from the very beginning.
When planning weekly, biweekly, or monthly garden maintenance, keep in mind that some tasks are better left for dry weather. After you and your gardener have discussed your wants and needs, they can give you a more accurate estimate of how often they will need to come and tend to your garden, taking into account the space at their disposal.
You and the garden staff need to come to terms on how and when they will be compensated. When it comes to payment, some gardeners and landscaping businesses would rather have cash, while others will take cards exclusively. It’s important to remember that you’ll have to pay more for gardening supplies like plants, seeds, and the like, and that your regular payment schedule could change from week to week or month to month.
Takeaways:
- The hourly rate you pay a gardener may fluctuate based on the size of your garden and the kind of gardening services you require.
- Before bringing in professional gardeners, you should evaluate your outdoor space to determine the specific tasks that must be completed.
- It’s important to lay out your expectations for your new gardener from the get-go.
