I've been up at my Dad's this weekend. He's 86 and amazingly fit and busy, but his garden is proving too much for him. He's reluctant to admit this and pay a gardener so I'm going to try and get a few hours' garden work done for him as a birthday present in the hope that he'll see it's worth it! So firstly, does anyone know of a good gardener in the Kendal area? And secondly what is a reasonable hourly rate?
as a qualified gardener (I have the RHS diploma in horticulture) I charge £15-20 per hour. However I live on the surrey/hants border so may not be a fair reflection on what you will need to pay in Kendal
i charge £15 per hour for general maintenance etc unless its large hedge or conifers then i charge £20 and im in Notts and can work for that all day long.
Try giving Newton Rigg Horticulture Dept. (Penrith) a ring they have students from all over the county and a campus in Windermere. They often have students that do part time work to supplement there student loans and gain experience. (01768 893400)
I needed help for the first time this year and found a lovely strong local man with own strimmer and backback sprayer and all sorts of certificates and insurances, ex-worker for National Trust, who kindly strimmed and sprayed and put up fallen fences for £12 an hour, four hours so far and it has transformed my allotments. I am in East Sussex, and can't quite believe my luck. Sorry to gardeners who need to charge more than this, but I did offer to pay extra for the weedkiller and strimmer petrol, but he refused. I have put in HOURS of work on them since and am really encouraged, but my own strimmer has died, and I am thinking of asking him for another 2 hour session.