Allotments 4 All

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.