How much should you pay a gardener?

Sago

BigBertha1 Could you please clarify? I need to know how many hours gardening for a “sleep”. Is it just a normal sleep or can you do some special tricks?
If you needed a small tree felling or a trench dug what would be expected?
Are the lights on or off?
I’m asking for a friend.

BigBerthal I love that info.
Sago you really made me laugh, especially you asking for a friend.

I wish we lived in the countries where you can hire a gardener for only about $40-$50 an hour. My husband hired a 3 man crew last summer and when he told me he paid them around $300 for trimming the 2 to 3 foot wide area surrounding our yard on two sides, plus the men showed up with no yard equipment of their own to use so he loaned them ours--I said something like, "What?!"
We've never had to hire anyone to help with anything but tree removal, so it's all very new to us--yet, I know he was taken to the proverbial cleaners! This year he did it all himself, in spite of the high heat and humidity, and he's going on 78 in 2 months--he's stubborn, so I couldn't talk him out of it! We have a large corner lot with lots of trees, and plenty of vines--wild vines--so the yard needs constant work all summer long. Before I began becoming disabled, the yard was my pride and joy--now, the size of it has become a very real problem for the both of us.

My husband is a gardener, however he does bigger estates and tends to do 2 days monthly, he does 6 hour days and charges £100 per day, he does spend virtually the whole time working, he is in his 70s but hasn't slowed down much. He also doesn't cut grass (contractors come in for that)

Our gardener has just retired and I think we paid him £19 per hour. The gardener who might take over is asking £25!

BigBertha1

I sleep with my gardener that seems to satisfy him.

Me too, he does other jobs as well!.

£15 per hour but he's in his 70s and works rather slowly....

I recently had a Gardner who is retired.

A very nice man and he only wanted £12 per hour.

He finished the job before the hour was up and tried to give me back £2. I refused it of course. I only hope he’s available if or when I need him again.

My daughter pays £30 every 2 weeks for for 3 sloping lawns cutting and any weeding cutting back that needs doing. They do some themselves but with 3 children and both working shifts time is limited. I have done nothing in my garden this year due to extreme mobility problems and my garden having steps! It’s not large and I have finally got someone coming to cut the grass , cut back the beautiful but very overgrown shrubs and and clear the brambles which are absolutely rampant this year. Will also clear and treat the weeds and grass on my driveway. The same on the patio at the back. Also take away all waste including stuff that I have dumped between the back of the shed and the back fence. He seems to know what he’s doing and is charging £604 which seems reasonable. Hoping he will continue once a fortnight with grass cutting and general maintenance while I am having such difficulties. We shall see.

£500 a day for a group of tree surgeons is really good value. I had a quote of £1650 for a diseased beech tree . The cheapest was £800 for a day which included cutting a very small tree down too . Replacement trees are £500 each plus delivery. I don't want to replant but an order from the local authority.
We must move to Sussex!

We often employ tree surgeons to take down the ash trees which are dying from ash dieback. For the group of three men,using their own equipment including a chipper, who cut down the trees, cut them into wood stove size logs,chip all the debris and stack everything, they charge £500 per day. We live in Sussex.

My DD has just moved house. Her neighbour's back garden is a mass of ivy, which has smothered her garden shed, which is now on the verge of collapse, climbed to the top of 2 tall conifers, and is forcing its way through the whole length of the dividing fence.
She has reluctantly admitted that it has to go, but they are unable to find anyone who will tackle the job. Heaven knows how much it will cost, if they ever find someone.
I suggested dousing the whole garden in strong weed killer, but the neighbour complained that it would kill her shrubs - which are also covered in ivy!

@ Sago I love this line of enquiry! ??

Not an answer but did you see the interview on BBC breakfast with a junior Dr when she said the hourly rate was less than £15 an hour ?

I think that price is cheap to fell a tree. that is usually outside normal gardening . I've had quotes for trees varying between £750 -£1500 plus vat.

My gardener uses his own tools.
He also is the only person I know that kneels down and hand weeds our massive 6- 8ft deep beds. We have 30+ roses between the front and back gardens which he feeds, sprays etc. He's fantastic and we wouldn't be without him. £215 for 6 hours incl petrol.

My gardener has just put his prices up from £25 to £30 an hour (in London). I am sad because I used to enjoy chats about the meaning of life with him. Now I scuttle indoors so as not to waste any of his time.

My daughter is a gardener and charges £15 per hour but because of the soaring fuel prices there is a separate charge for petrol, So depending on how much travelling she has to do for a job her rates now range between £15-£18 per hour. She cleans up and takes away the debris as well as using her own tools.

She works very hard and is always busy throughout the year, with an ever growing waiting list.

If you have trees which need cutting down, check if they are near electricity transmission lines. The electricity company here will cut them down FOC as they don't want trees falling on lines.

Hampshire. 6hrs every 4 weeks throughout the whole year.
£215 for 6hrs incl petrol. He is registered with HCC and is a qualified horticulturist. I can leave him to do whatever he thinks needs doing ( my husband knows the lawns). If there's anything in particular that I want done I email him.
Back garden can only be accessed via the garage, so we've given him his own garage keys as he arrives as soon as it's light enough to garden and then leaves after 6 hours. We've had him for the last 10 years. Long may he last!

I live in Southern California. My gardener comes weekly and tends to the lawn, flower beds, bushes and trees on my suburban plot of a little less than 1/4 acre, some of which is taken up by an in ground pool and concrete decking.

He comes weekly and we pay him $150 US per month.

Thank you all for this information, now I have to find a gardener !

I charge £20 per hour, normally go once per fortnight. I have all my own tools and clear up afterwards.

I also recycle plants from my own garden and give them away to my clients.

I pay £20 an hour.I struggled to find a gardener last year,all I managed was somebody who was always too busy,or some conmen who wanted £350 to tidy my garden,I told them to go away.But I now have one who I pay £20 an hour.She does a very good job,she digs,tidies, works really hard.

Think it's depends on what you want and whereabouts in the country you are.
£15 ph if you just want the grass cut or a bit of " muscle " for what you can't do . Otherwise , people with skills are in high demand , so probably £20 ph .

£180 for a day's work - obviously numer of hours depens on time of the year - he is a fully qualified horticulturist. Unfortunately he doesn't do the steep 'wild' bank behind my house which gets overrun with brambles from the fields. He also doesn't do the grass strimming on my long driveway. Prices for those jobs depend on who 'wants' the work and those who claim they will tackle 'anything'! We have so many people offering their services in the area but, if the work is more than mowing a lawn, they lose interest!!