According to the Work Foundation, one in ten households now employ some sort of help. Long hours combined with busy personal lives result in less time to carry out household tasks, such as gardening.
Many people chose to pay one of their local gardeners to visit their garden on a pre-agreed day to carry out gardening chores, such as mowing the grass and pruning.
If you want to find a gardener, you should check out their qualifications, references as well as relevant experience. You could also ask to see previous gardens that they have worked on.
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How to hire a professional gardener
This guide will take you through several steps for you to consider when looking to hire a gardener. However, before you get to that stage you need to know how to hire a gardener or garden maintenance company in the first place.
Friends, Family and Neighbours
One of the best ways to find a suitable gardening business in your local area is to simply ask around. Put the question to neighbours, friends and family. They should be able to recommend you a few good local gardening companies or gardeners which will get the ball rolling.
Internet Search
Alternatively, you could use the internet to search for a local gardener. In this case, you will not be going off of anybody’s recommendation. It would be advisable that you meet with the potential gardener and ask for references and if possible to view their previous clients work. Most gardeners should be happy to show you this as they will be proud of their work.
Professional Gardening Qualifications
There are various sorts of awards and qualifications to demonstrate competency in horticulture. Look for: LANTRA awards, City & Guilds or NTCP, RHS or the Institute of Gardening.
Hiring a Qualified Gardener
Whilst it is possible to hire a good gardener who hasn’t got any of the above qualifications, it is advisable to find a qualified gardener instead.. It shows enthusiasm and commitment to the job, which is something you look for when hiring a gardener or landscape professional.
Property Insurance
Just like any other traders, gardeners will need to insure they have Public Liability Insurance, this insures that there are ample funds available to pay out compensation should injury or damage to a property occur. However you should note this does not protect you against bad workmanship.
Accidents do happen, so it is worth asking your proposed gardener to see their traders insurance certificate, just to err on the side of caution.
What Is The Cost of Hiring A Gardener
According to whatprice.co.uk gardeners will charge anywhere from £10 to £25 depending on their level of qualification, and what the job involves. 
However larger gardens, more demanding tasks and specialist skilled work could cost more.
Garden redesign
If you want to redesign your entire garden, you can expect to pay a lump sum, starting at around £500. You should also bear in mind that hourly rates of professional garden designers will not include the cost of waste disposal.
A professional gardener or landscaper may also have a minimum time frame in which he or she will work, as this will reduce their unpaid travel time. If you only have a small, simple garden and only want one task completed, such as lawn mowing, you may be able to agree on a fixed quote.