Allotments 4 All

Hi Folks!

Please forgive me for my recent absence. I've been lurking, but it's just that time of the year when I don't feel particularly sociable and I've been thinking about a lot recently...

Mostly pondering....

How much do those of you who do charge for working in other people's gardens?

I've been thinking about offering my services a few days a week to my neighbours - just to do stuff like weeding, pruing, hoeing, digging, maybe planting small beds, etc. Nothing too huge (unless the money/project was right!) Probably starting next spring.

A lot of them do occassionally get gardeners in for the odd job, so I know there's a market. I have no professional experience or qualifications, although of course, I can show them my garden!

As we don't have a mower, I wouldn't do lawns and out of principal I wouldn't use chemicals.

Mr Aqui thinks it might be a bit awkward, working for the neighbours. But we're not hugely friendly with any of them, just say hello and maybe a few words when we pass.

I'm just fed up of being stuck in the office, but can't afford to reduce my time at work unless I have another source of income. And I'm fed up of just dreaming about things...

thoughts? experiences? etc? welcome!

Oh and what would the tax man have to say about me have a part-time normal job and working part-time self-employed?

Eh! Aqui'...been thinking on the same lines. Being close to being old and fed-up of being turned down by regular employers, I thought I might use my love of gardening to earn a few bob. Looking at what house cleaners are asking I thought something like £5 an hour not out of the way.

Hi Aquilegia!

Go for it! I gave up my IT job to do gardening. Best move I ever made!

I started off working in the Gardens at Ashridge College, but when my daughter was born I went out a did a little work for people I know. I charge £10 an hour, but I know other people in this area charge £14 if not more!

It might be a good idea to look at the adverts in local shop windows to see what other gardeners are charging.

Good luck!

Blood* *ell...£14 quid an hour!
Eh! Aqui'...amend the fiver to a tenner....and don't forget the free cuppa's.

Quote from: wardy on November 11, 2005, 17:54:20you wouldn't need clothes

:o  I know what you mean, Wardy, but I had an image of those naked gardeners for a minute then!

Aqui - my parents have employed gardeners from time to time & have paid £10-£14 per hour.  The gardeners who dug out the wilderness which was here when we moved in & put the first lot of plants in for us don't charge per hour, they charge per job, depending on how much they are going to do - their minimum is £60 per job, if I remember rightly!

Hey Aqui!! Nice to have you back, matey!! 110% agree with everything said really!! I charge £10 an hour, but I did go to college at night to get qualified. Like Wardy, I'd never earn enough at the min to support us, give me time! I've never been so happy, and speaking of cleaning, did that at night to fund college!!  ::)I rarely go out, rarely miss it, live in jeans and DMs, and I can't imagine doing anything else!
Lottie  ;D
Forgot to add!! Won't use chemicals either, and most people when shown the "harmful to"- bit on chemicals, are mortified!!

I meant to say - in relation to the awkwardness of working for neighbours - one of our next-door neighbours is a builder & he does odd jobs for us from time to time - no awkwardness on our side, don't think there's any on his!  From our point of view, it's very useful having a builder to hand whenever we need one, as it were - much less hassle than ringing round to get quotes - & he can do the work to fit in with whatever else he's doing.

Hi Aqui, lovely to have you back  ;D, there is an advert in our local shop for gardening ,and i phoned them to ask how much an hour they charge just to give you some idea, £10 was the answer, but could charge extra if a very heavy job. No experience only the love of gardening and he has 11 customers in only 8mths. I hope that might help you. :D

Hey Wardy!! Please exscuse smell, have been shifting pig poo!!   ::)  Erm first course got Advanced National Certificate in Horticulture in Principles of Lanscape and Garden Design and Practices thereof, then National certificate in ID and use of plants, then went on to do RHS General certificate, and yes, I did have to go check cos names so blessed long winded!! So glad I did it though, am quietly confident I can do someone's garden without killing things now.....fingers crossed.. ;D ;D ;D ;) though is early days.... :-\
Lottie

No, you rant away, Wardy!!! Agree totally, reason I did the RHS, was the Design covered nothing to do with upkeep, positioning etc of plants, and practicals were just laughable!!! I did like the RHS course though, cos it covered so much, and really felt like I'd learnt something....but if being honest, have learnt more here than anywhere!! By the way, have just covered 2 beds with compost/pig poo mix, and left without backwards glance and no diggin!!!! My dad thinks I've lost the plot, but he should have realized that years ago.... ::) ::) ::) ;) I blamed you anyway...... ;D ;)Can't wait to lift cover off in spring!!
Lottie  ;D

Thanks all for your input.

£10 definitely sounds good - it's more than I got when I was temping, although of course the work wouldn't be as regular.

I was thinking about reducing my job to three days a week (I currently work four) and using Fridays as my garden work day. (I was even thinking of calling myself on my fliers - which I've been writing in my head! - Green Fingered Girl Friday!)

Mr Aqui's still concerned about the awkwardness of working for other people - but I'm not so bothered. And he's worried I'll knacker myself out so much working in other people's gardens I won't want to do my own. (not blooming likely!)

I'm really going to try to do this. I'm fed up of dreaming about stuff and never doing it...

Wardy - thanks for that - I'll have to contact the CVS.

Rosebud - thanks for calling them for me!

Hi there Aqui - I also work for myself but not in the gardening field.  The best advice I can give is if you need your income to pay bills etc only reduce your days, don't give up work altogether.  Income can be sporadic, people can often cancel you going at the last minute. Don't advertise, I spent vast amounts of money on advertising and every single one of my regulars came to me through word of mouth and finally don't be put off if you have a bad week, stick at it and eventually even if you are not financially secure you will be emotionally balanced and a much more content person to escape the superficial stressed out rat race and the bitchy office environment.

If my neck of the woods is anything to go by you will soon have more work that you can shake a stick at.

My son-in-law started garden work including the construction side (decking/walls/turfing etc.) and two years later he is employing someone and still turning work away

Good luck

Derek

Don't forget that if you are just doing gardening (ie no hard landscaping) then in Jan/Feb work is minimal to non-existent. Although that does have advantages it does affect your income over all.

Hi Aqui, welcome back! 

I have just started gardening for other peeps and charge ten pounds an hour.  Hoping that one day I will be turning work away, but at the moment, things are quiet, although it is a quiet time of year.  One other thing to consider is insurance.  If you damage something accidently in someone elses garden, will you have to cough up and pay for it??

Def agree with EJ on this one. I have taken out personal liability insurance, mainly cos if there was an accident and I was sued, it could mean losing the house!! And in the culture of today's constant claims, I think it's really worth getting covered. I pay £198 a year, and am covered for up to £2,000,000. Now if that doesn't pay for a broken pot...... ::)
Lottie  ;D

I hadn't thought about insurance.

Mr Aqui mentioned it last night. I hadn't realised it would be so expensive.

To be honest I think this is rapidly turning into a non-workable plan.

I would want to keep my current job at enough hours to pay the bills still, which would mean only dropping half a day a week (I'd do three days one week, four days the next). So I'd only be gardening one day every fortnight. That would mean it'd be at least two months before I'd even covered the insurance. Then there's income tax and probably not working half the year. So basically I'd probably end up losing money.

Or maybe it's just the weather today making me feel less enthusiastic!

I think I just want more time to spend working in my own garden!

Hi aqui, I too charge 10 pounds an hour, have been self employed for about 10 years now. True there's little or no work in jan and feb but I don't mind having a rest, as the workload means I can't take any breaks in the summer!

Hi Aqui,

Just to chip my bit in! A few years ago I did some grdening locally for a very nice lady who just needed a hand with a huge patch. I charged 8 per hour then. Thought about doing more but at the time had that huge garden in my previous house so weighed up that I'd be too tired to do my own heavy stuff.

When I started there I hired an extra pair of hands for a while but the guy didn't know a shrub from bramble and wanted a tenner an hour so I decided to do it myself.

I've always freelanced and you can get desert periods but the freedom is unbeatable!

Good luck whatever you decide, CLxx

Thing is we already earn the pretty much the minimum we can live on - most of our money goes on the mortgage, utility bills, food, council tax, etc. We don't go out or buy extravagant things (unless you count riding lessons, but they are a necessity!), since I already reduced my hours and got a less stressful, less well paid job. Mr Aqui doesn't have a particularly well paid job either, so I can't rely on him to pay the bills without me. He's not at all ambitious in terms of career either!

Last night I got all excited when he said that what I really want to do is work fewer hours and have time to have an allotment. But I can't do that either (it would be much too scary to have to feed us, rather than the slugs, from home grown stuff!)

Glad you are back Aqui. ;D

Hope it all works out whatever you decide. I would love to do a bit of gardening for a living, but I don't think I could cope with the uncertainty of it all - but then that is just me.

4 years ago, I became ill with stress.  Off work for seven weeks, father died and all that.  I decided that money and stress wasn't for me.  So decided to reduce my hours, and reduce pay.  Place I work for were very good, I had been there for many years.  I now work 24 hours over 3 days.  Money isn't everything, I know it helps.  But, we are on this earth only once, so lets enjoy it.

I know I am very lucky, and count my blessings every day, OH works full time and tends to go along with what ever I want to do. I do pay my way though. I see everyone else at work, getting stressed out, but me I just smile knowing that I made the right decision.  
I'm sure its possible to be self sufficient in terms of veggies and fruit.  Now that we are on our new larger plot I'm going to have a stab at it.

Go for it Aquilegia and good luck.

Lily

Aqui - In last last posting you sound a little down, I know its easier said than done but don't let it grind you down, keep your ears to the ground and keep hoping and maybe a opportunity may arise for you.  Its hard aint it when the bills keep coming and your not satisfied with your work but nothing is forever and just maybe you will find a way to do what makes you tick!!

Chin Up  :)

Could a pre-agreed aggrement be worked out. Like, 'I'll do your garden but on condition the work is covered by the home insurance?' Nah! Can't be that simple in todays age, can it?

Sorry all for wasting your time on this one and for my sudden turnaround. It's just that time of the year. I think really I wanted a project to work on over the winter to start next year. Now with my plan to do the ornamental veg garden I have one.

I'm like an emotional yo-yo without the summer sunshine! Hence the recent disappearance. (I've gone into hybernation.)

I'm feel better now that I'm dreaming about making my garden as edible and pretty as possible. My plan for neighbourhood domination has been reduced to just my garden!

And my job's not really that bad. The people are great, the hours are fine (four days a week), the pay's pretty good really considering how easy the work is (it's pretty much the same pro rata as my stressful career job before)... It's definitely not the rat race (not private sector).

And as Moggle put it - I couldn't cope with the uncertainty. I need to know where my next pay cheque is coming from!

You see now why I vanished - I'm all in a muddle right now!

There are pro's and con 's to both regular employment and self-employment as with most things in life and I have to admit to missing the security and  stability of a regularly wage  :D

Aqui, there is nothing wrong with pondering, musing or whatever, we all do it!! From my point of view, I'd never be able to do this job if OH wasn't working and getting decent wage. As it is we don't have hols or go out much at all!!! So ponder away! It's never a waste of time..
Lottie  ;D

If we didn't have dreams and ponderings, life would be very dull. I shall be pondering all winter, but only when the sun doesn't shine - until the S.A.D.  :( syndrome goes away.  Today is a good day, the sun is shining. :)  :)  :)

Lily

Lily - it is indeed a beautiful day. I don't mind even being stuck in the office with the sun shining today as it's forecast to keep shining all weekend. That makes me happy! Oh and bananas are great against SAD - I keep having one with breakfast - great boost in the morning!

Aqua  I've just had a banana so I'm in for an even better day then.  Day off today, the office I work in (large call centre) the windows are, what seem like a million miles away, and get the blinds shut by those that work near them because they reflect on their screens. !!!  So in Winter I often never see the sun, whilst I am working.  :o , I only work 3 days so may not be all that bad.

From Sunny Yorkshire,  :D  :D

Lily

Its beautiful and sunny here too and very chilly - I'm not so unfortunate to suffer with S.A.D. but do fully appreciate such a beautiful day as today :)

New lottie clothes? Surely they should be cast-offs?

I need to get another pair of gardening jeans (I washed mine last week, finally - they were so muddy they had the machine all to themselves!) but I reckon they'll be a charity shop jobby. Inspired by you wardy I reckon I'll have to get my wellies down from the loft (can't get enough pairs of socks into my summer garden trainers!) And my coat is my riding jacket and detachable fleece.

You didn't have hat, scarf and gloves to match you boots did you?  ;D

Hi Aqui,

Know where you're at/been etc., You'll find the right direction.....

Love CLx