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If you know your garden needs a little TLC but aren't sure what assistance you require (or what's included!), this guide will help you make informed choices about the best gardening services for your outdoor spaces.
Hiring a gardener can be a brilliant way to ensure your lawns, flower beds, and blooms look beautiful, but much depends on the season, size of the garden, and what style aesthetic you're aiming for.
Below we've summarised some of the most popular gardening services to showcase the variety of professional gardening support available.
Advantages of Hiring a Professional Gardener
There are countless reasons you might decide to hire a professional gardener or perhaps arrange a one-off service to get your garden back into a more manageable condition.
If you have any major work planned, such as clearing overgrown areas, removing tree stumps, or laying a patio, a gardener can advise you on the best options and anticipated timescales.
Many people also opt for a gardener to deal with tricky tasks, such as managing invasive plant species, or to help with landscaping ideas and planning a garden layout that you'll be able to deal with by yourself, without specialist knowledge.
Hiring a skilled gardener often works out as more cost-effective than renting tools and trying to undertake the project yourself.
Setting a Budget for Your Garden Maintenance
Exact costs for your gardening services vary, depending on what you're looking for, which might be:
- Regular garden management services - say a fixed number of hours per week or month.
- A one-off gardening service to deal with a specific issue lay new turf or remove an abundance of weeds.
Most gardeners will offer an hourly rate, but you can often reduce costs by agreeing to an ongoing contract - regular management will keep your garden in great shape and usually lowers your total expense in the long run.
Popular UK Gardening Services
As promised, let's run through some of the most in-demand gardening services and what they involve.
General Garden Upkeep
Even the most loved garden can fall into disarray, with fast-growing weeds, piles of fallen leaves, and debris following high winds and long, cold winters.
General upkeep is hugely varied but can include ongoing tasks that prevent moss, weeds, and general detritus from building up over time:
- Jet washing patios and driveways.
- Removing weeds and clearing gutters.
- Sourcing replacement plants and turf.
- Replanting damaged flower beds.
- Cutting back hedges, trees, and bushes.
If you have a gardener visit your property every month, for example, they'll let you know if they have any recommendations, such as removing plants that are growing too aggressively for your hanging baskets or flower beds.
Planting schemes designed with compatible species and contrasting colors can make a significant difference to the feel of your garden, as well as attract birds, butterflies, and other native species to your home.
Garden Clearance
Clearance projects are in equally high demand and might occur because of a range of situations, such as:
- Preparing a house for sale with a garden that's become a little out of control.
- Moving into a new property with an untidy, overgrown outdoor area.
- Dealing with neglected gardens in vacant homes.
- Helping homeowners with limited mobility regain enjoyment from their garden.
Costs will differ depending on the size of the garden, how long it takes to clear, and the nature of the waste, but are typically around £100 to £150 for standard-sized gardens.
Invasive Species Removal
Several plant species can cause severe damage to your property, prevent other plants from growing, and even result in brickwork deterioration.
Japanese Knotweed is perhaps the best-known, and it's essential to consult a gardener as quickly as possible to mitigate the cost and make it easier to remove the plant before the roots have become further embedded.
The good news is that a professional gardener can deal with invasive plants quickly and effectively and will usually check back periodically to make sure there isn't any regrowth that requires prompt action.
Lawn Maintenance
Lawns are notoriously labor-intensive and require regular grass cutting, watering in dry seasons, weeding, and management, especially if you end up with a patchy lawn or areas that aren't growing evenly.
Many gardeners offer lawn maintenance during the day without the need to disturb homeowners and plan work around the weather forecast to keep your grass in perfect condition.
If you don't have a lawnmower or need a ride-on vehicle to deal with larger lawns, your gardener will often provide the equipment and remove all the cuttings for an inclusive price.
Patchy, unloved lawns can require new turf, which is best done before any seriously cold weather and thrives well outside of heavy rains - finding the optimal time to lay new turf is half of the challenge.
A gardener will recommend the right turf to either blend with the rest of your lawn or provide a hardy, green lawn that will be suited to the needs of your family - particularly essential if you have pets or children that require a tough grass to play on!
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Borders and Hedges
Hedges and borders can create privacy, screen your property from the next, and attract an array of wildlife.
As with lawns, a perfect hedge needs regular trimming to remove any dead foliage and keep your border neat, healthy, and green.
Professional gardeners can also remove old hedges if you'd like to refresh the style of your garden or replace a border with another plant or fence.
Landscaping
Landscaping is a broad term and can involve several gardening services. Your gardener can create borders, build a patio, lay a new lawn, or create an outdoor decking area for dining.
Some of the many options to consider include:
- Building a patio with your choice of natural stone or slate. A gardener will ensure your patio is level and even, with appropriate drainage to prevent water from building up during heavy rains.
- Creating a decked area that improves your usage of outdoor spaces. Decking with a trellis or roof can be ideal for year-round outdoor use. Gardening services include recommendations about the right finish of wood and treatment options to maintain your deck for the years to come.
- Laying new turf or working with artificial turf if you need a zero-maintenance garden that still replicates the look and feel of natural grass.
- Designing pathways and walkways between your flower beds and landscaping. There are many options for stone, slab, and layout, plus considerations around lighting and incorporating steps for gardens with sloped areas.
- Maintaining or building a new pond. Water features add to the feel of a garden, whether you'd like a natural pond that is easy to look after or an ornate Koi pond as an outdoor focal point.
- Planting and raised beds. Flowers can be incorporated throughout landscaping, from scented herb beds to raised trellises for creepers, railway sleeper flower beds, and rock gardens dotted with ferns, flowers and shrubs.
If you're interested in landscaping garden services, a gardener will be able to visit your property and advise on the best species of plant, depending on the layout and aspect of your garden, and which plants will flourish in the natural light available.
Tree Management
Some tree management services fall into the remit of a tree surgeon, but a gardener can usually deal with smaller trees and those requiring simple maintenance.
Tree pruning is important for any damaged or diseased branches, harmful moss growth, or self-seeding trees that encroach on your patio, lawns, or home.
Another gardening service involves stump removal - this ensures that a remaining stump is completely removed from your garden, leaving you free to use the space as you wish.
That process can involve excavating the stump and roots or grinding it out.
It's usually preferable to hire a gardener to deal with tree stumps, as they require professional-grade machinery and safety clothing, as a task that may be too dangerous for most inexperienced gardeners to take on.
How to Compare Gardening Services Quotes
Gardening services are affordable, cost-effective, and available for properties of any size.
If you struggle to find time to keep your lawn looking vibrant, need advice about replanting flower beds, or want to reconfigure your garden layout through a landscaping project, a local gardener can help.
We offer a free quotation service, with no obligation, and the opportunity to compare costs on a like-for-like basis from gardening professionals nearby.
Hopefully, this guide has given you an idea of which services you require - simply select the gardening service you would like, or tell us a little about the gardening project you have in mind, and we'll help you find a qualified gardener.
Our network of gardening professionals extends across the UK, so we'll also ask for your address details, which enables us to match your requirements with local businesses.
Next, you'll receive up to four independent quotes and can take your time to visit online reviews, compare pricing offers, and pick the right gardener to bring your garden back to life.
Get Quotes From Local Gardeners
Looking for a gardener to start as soon as possible? Compare FREE quotes from local gardeners in your area.
1. Tell us some details of your gardening project
Let us know the details of the gardening work required.
2. Tell us your UK address
We have a national network of gardeners in the United Kingdom. Whether you are in Scotland or London, we can find a gardener.
3. Recieve no obligation quotes
You'll receive up to 4 no-obligation quotes from local gardeners and save money on your gardening project.