Flipping Gardeners, a dilemma needing some ideas.

I am thinking, but I really don't know the answer.

There are larger, more professional firms around, but I'm not sure which are in your area. Perhaps you could ask at your local garden centre to see if they have a list of recommended people - and, although you may not be considered 'elderly' Age Concern keep lists of recommended gardeners, decorators etc.
It may not be possible, but 'always get three quotes'.

I think I'd be a bit wary of posting something detrimental just yet.

It is annoying, we were waiting on several different days for someone to come and do some concreting and then he came on a day when we had two DGC to look after, so he had an audience.
And we and a neighbour used to have Mr Unreliability to come and do some gardening a few years ago until he moved on to 'better things' .

There are plenty of opportunities out there for anyone prepared to work hard!

The family who own our local independent garden centre sometimes are happy to do odd gardening jobs.

Scarcity of gardeners was one reason we looked for a house with a small garden last time we moved. They seem to be the most unreliable bunch.

Oh dear - I don't think you can dismiss all gardeners like that Kitty - a bit like when people say they hate all dentists
Nellie is there an agricultural/horticultural college near you which might provide a source of newly trained, aspiring gardeners?
That was how I acquired mine and he is very good. He doesn't live near you though!
I think the problem with many self employed tradesmen is that they can't bring themselves to say no to new business and then get themselves overloaded.
Perhaps the first question to them should be 'Are you able to take on any new clients just now?'
Unfortunately this time of the year is their busiest time

You are right jane, I should know better. I apologise to the reliable gardeners out there! I'm still feeling nowty!

Oh kitty now you've reminded me of my DM! I've never heard anyone else use that word

Sounds like this gardener will not be reliable, maybe ask neighbours for recommendations, gardeners advertise in local church magazines sometimes. nelliemoser we can be vulnerable in some situations with trades people, I had a terrible joiner, he made a botch of my kitchen.

Nellie, not sure if this suggestion fit with guidelines, but on moving to a new area we found seeking advice via Streetlife was really helpful. Someone may be able to recommend or a gardener may be a member. There could be a semi retired gem out there somewhere who only works via recommendation Hope you find someone soon. Do understand the irritation. Our current frustration is trying to get a quote for a summerhouse - the owner of our local independent garden centre came and looked, promised a price - four weeks ago. We want them for the work as they did a superb job on a shed installation, think it is lack of organisation rather than not wanting the work, so will phone and remind them, again. Hope you find someone soon.

My daughter started her own gardening business last year, and she's now having to turn prospective clients down, as she can' t physically fit any more in . Strangely enough I was just talking to her about how busy she is only yesterday, and she thinks its due to her being reliable, a female (women feel more comfortable talking about their gardening needs to another woman )and of course, doing a good job. All her customers have come to her through word of mouth, so I second what Nana3 says. She hasn't advertised her services at all.
She is now pushing for 'Grandma ' to move into her village so I can do the school pick-up and enable her to expand. Well, its nice to know I still have a use!

JaneA you are probably right about overloading their work schedule in case they don't get any. I just wish the beggars would be honest about about it and say no instead of pratting about.
I have a few leads in our local "link" magazine I will try. This is landscaping sort of work.
I live near to Reaseheath college which do such stuff.

I am planning a polite but slighty cross reply to the guy about his reliabilty. I will think about the wording of it in the garden this morning. If it stays dry.

The man who helps us out every Monday afternoon is more of a handyman than a gardener. He'll do anything that DH now finds difficult to cope with so unless you need somebody who actually knows about plants and gardening you might find it easier to get somebody who will do whatever you want him to under your direction.

We found ours by putting the word out around the village - pub, shop etc. Sometimes the word 'gardener' puts them off because they don't actually know a nettle from a geranium but boy, can they shift a load of unwanted shrubby stuff.

You may have to provide all the tools though.

Must say I could not bear to employ a 'gardener' who is not one and doesn't know how to prune properly, or the difference between weeds or perennials, etc.... would drive me bonkers. I have many girl friends/relatives who are permanently arguing with their DHs because they can no longer garden- and their dhs haven't got a clue, and dig the best stuff out and leave the groundelder, etc...

I have not been able to garden yet this year due to ma new knee- but hopefully will be able to begin when we get back home (in the UK at the mo)... I might actually advertise locally for a youngster who is keen to learn and train- and teach him/her working alonside me- but only if genuinely interested. Perhaps someone with special needs like the young chap I talked to at Barndale Gardens yesterday- really interested and good on plants- but not os good at communicating.

Our local garden centre has a list of local gardeners details, maybe you have one near you with same thing.
There are also a few FB groups for our town and people often advertise for gardeners and get replies/recommendations. Has your's similar pages?

It is difficult to find reliable gardeners, they often seem to start but then disappear.
I would just message him and say your sorry he doesn't seem to want the work and not to worry about visiting you, and leave it at that.

I have this argument with DH . He expects the gardener to do all sorts of gardening by osmosis. I argue that he is a maintenance man and does the lawn every fortnight and tidies paths . If I want anything else like drains clearing or cutting back or chopping down I tell him and arrange another day.

I have a number of leads to pursue. but I fear they might not think what I want doing is worth their time.

Re Incapability Brown I am working out exactly what I intend to say to him (diplomatically of course) about how he might improve his customer relationships. I am not going to let him get away without commenting on what I feel is his unprofessional behaviour. It will require some thought.

Why don't you put a notice up on StreetLife.com? Local people will tell you who they have used and if the are reliable ...however best not to sound complaining when you ask is this might put the good ones off!

I'm just having my garden done. Because it is very small and has a number of constraints I'm using a garden designer to draw up the detailed plan and spec and she recommended someone to do the landscaping. I think the very fact I used a professional meant the landscaper was more willing to quote ..and come. Also she only recommends those she knows to be reliable and who do good clean work. This matters to me as I don't want to disrupt my neighbour's avoidably as access has to be through one of their gardens.

Good luck!

We found a good local gardener via Gumtree. Most of them post images of the work they've done. Large gardens can be a nightmare to maintain and our gardener does most of the heavy work and leaves me with the type of gardening I enjoy i.e. pottering!

If you can use age concern, now age UK, to find a local trusted gardening service. Start with :

www.ageuk.org.uk/money-matters/financial-products-and-services-to-help-make-your-money-go-further/business-directory/

For more information:
Call Age UK Advice: 0800 169 2081

Hope they help you get someone.

I needed my whole garden, back and front, renovated last year (needed it for years but finally decided to do it). I asked one guy who had replaced a fence for me as he was working in a garden nearby. He agreed to come and assess the job. I phoned and spoke or left messages with five other garden firms. One came to look and another acknowledged my call but I heard nothing else from any of them. That was six people who didn't want/need a fairly substantial job!

By word of mouth, I found the guy who finally did the work for a surprisingly modest price. His only stipulation (before I described the job) was that he couldn't undertake any more grass cutting! His working life is cutting other people's grass, seemingly. I gave him a sheet of A4 with my ideas. He designed the layout and did a great job returfing, removing lots of paving slabs, laying gravel, removing rubbish, dismantling the shed etc. The best thing he did was to create a small, fenced off area (I call it the compound!) where my many rubbish bins and gardening stuff live out of sight. It's brilliant because I hate sheds ?

It's raining today. My water butt will start filling up again. I've emptied it because I now follow my dog with the watering can to dilute his visits to the lawn. Bare patches weren't a problem before I had the garden revamped but I love it now so I look after it. ?

I have had the same problem trying to get someone to keep my mum's back garden in order. She has someone to cut the front and back lawns each week but nobody seems interested in general tidying, weeding, etc.

I found an advert for what appeared to be a gardener in her local village magazine but when I phoned him and explained what needed doing - flowerbeds tidying, cutting back of bushes, etc., he wasn't at all keen - stating that he mostly did jobs like laying patios. More money in that I suppose. Others that I have contacted say they are "too busy". It is left to me to do this when I visit each week, and last week my husband and I drove to hers, with all our gardening tools, and spent several hours doing the garden. It is time-consuming and quite tiring, on top of keeping our own fair-sized garden in order.

I'm wondering if it has got round that my mum isn't exactly generous in what she is willing to pay, although she is very comfortably off (I have spoken to her about this, but to no avail). She was very reluctant to use the cleaners recommended by Age Concern because their hourly rates were what she considered to be high (although I thought them reasonable). Her own cleaner is only paid £7 an hour and my mum only has her for an hour a week. I top it up myself from time to time but my husband gets annoyed because he says mum is well able to afford it herself.

Sorry - going off-topic a bit.

I am trying to keep hold of the man who has done the first part of my fencing - to do the next bit! He's very elusive at the moment, but has said he will let me know over the w/e when he can estimate........ (crosses fingers)

I did have a very nice little man who did gardening/handystuff - but he disappeared last spring! Now I am trying to get my lawn back under control so I can then mow it without the mower box, much easier. Stop the rain!!!

The problem is that they call themselves "gardeners" but most don't know a weed from a plant and cannot prune a shrub correctly. Gardening was my hobby but since I have become disabled I have had a succession of these so called gardeners who more or less ruined my garden. Fortunately the lady I employ to do my housework has only a very small patch of her own and is willing to learn more about gardening, enjoys doing mine under my supervision. In fact she thanks me for letting her do it.

Gardeners don't want to do a one off job. They want you to employ them on a regular basis. For example, ours comes once a fortnight. If you are asking them to come and do a one off job you have to be fitted into their regular schedule. My gardener even has difficulty doing extra time at my house.

With one off jobs- it means they have no garanteed earnings, and nothing to do in the winter.

Perhaps we are at fault of poor quality- eg not 'proper' trained or knowledgeable gardeners - as we are not prepared to pay for a decent rate?

Out of interest, how much do you pay per hour for yours? And are they paid properly/legally- or cash in hand behind ghe garden shed?

What I want at present is basically ground work involving putting planks to support the soil and stop it falling into the lawn. I have no idea if this guy has a gardening qualification, he might be more of a landscaper than a gardener but he has a website and such I might have a better idea about the plants than he does. He refers to his business as garden maintenance.

I have spent a jolly afternoon re attaching two clematis and its netting to the fence after we painted it. Reattaching a clematis that has lots of shoots about 2ft long onto its trellis is a bit like untangling wool.