Have you even had a gardener?

Many years ago I was a single parent holding down two jobs. I only had a small garden but my pretentious neighbours moaned about the state of it. I did not have time to do it. I found a great gardener who charged me £10 a month and £20 at the change of the season when he put new plants in. I could ill afford to employ him but it was so nice to come home to a lovely garden. He also got lots of work off my neighbours. We were so disappointed when he moved on to doing large landscape type gardens.

I've got a very part-time gardener who prunes the shrubs twice a year and then just if I need extra help with something.
He was recommended by my neighbour. He also cleans out the gutters etc.
Recommends are a good idea, for me anyway, as I had such difficulty finding a gardener who would actually turn up when he said, not charge exorbitant prices, and do a good job.

I think plenty of people feel as you do ExD about getting someone in but honestly, I feel it's as important as a plumber or a roofer. You are looking after the house and the garden. Perhaps more akin to a hairdresser as it is more cosmetic than critical but if you see the amount people spend in garden centres, money better spent, in my opinion on a skilled hand, who will show you how to take cuttings and make compost, and prune so you never need to spend a fortune at the GC ever again.
Asking the local garden club is an excellent idea.

My brother who loves his garden, but like you suffers dreadfully from his back, had 6 waist high raised beds built in his front garden with a hedge to screen them from the street and he grows all his vegetables as well as flowers for the house.

Don't pay by the hour - my opinion. I have a postage stamp size garden which I could easily do myself in half hour but for my severe allergies. My 'gardener' potters around, spends 2 hours and charges £20. His point is --- waste of his time and petrol, coming here for just half hour - fair enough.

There is a site called. Next door that you can go sign up to your local area and ask for recommendations, that’s how we found our gardener.

What lot of good advice and help.
Thank you, I'm starting making enquiries as soon as I finish reading these forums.

Yes thank you! Mine did my mental health the world of good. Divine man ……..….!