A skilled gardener offers far more than mere watering and weeding – avoid the noisy machines and go for knowledge and experience.
What work needs doing?
Gardeners, garden companies, and the services they offer, are many and varied, especially so here in the Algarve.
First decide what kind of work you need doing. A hard-working and reliable gardener can do the jobs you don’t have time to do, allowing you to enjoy your garden more. An unskilled or novice gardener will be the cheapest to employ and should be able to do basic jobs such as hand-watering and weeding but will need some supervision.
Gardeners with knowledge and experience should cope with all the tasks needed to keep a garden under control – including weeding, pruning, planting, mulching, feeding – and know when to do them.
A top- notch skilled gardener will be able to help you plan your garden, suggest and source plants and even mentor you, if you want to learn more.
Where do I find a gardener?
Personal recommendation seems to be the best way of finding a good gardener. If you don’t know anyone who employs one, contact one of the small local garden groups or the many garden groups on Facebook. The Mediterranean Gardening Association for Portugal has recommendations from its members to share. If you need a tree surgeon or a shredding company, for instance, choose someone who is fully trained and insured.
Be wary of companies offering cut-price gardening services – the operators may have no experience and you could end up trying to remedy the mess they’ve left you with.
One of the main issues in the current water crisis is finding individuals or companies who are willing to provide maintenance for specialised dry gardens using mediterranean climate zone and native plants. This type of garden needs a different approach and is outside the experience of many companies.
Individual or company?
Using an established company should give you peace of mind as they will have a track record you can check, but they may well charge more per hour. With a self-employed gardener, try to find someone you can trust, who understands your type of garden and who will do the job well. Other qualities to look for are fitness, taking care with the tools and being reliable.
Be aware of legal requirements
Whichever route you choose, ask for references and to see some of the work they have done. Even a novice gardener should provide you with the phone number of a client. If you decide to take on someone new, try them out on a small job first, so that you can see the quality of their work.
Expect the gardener to bring their own tools. It’s sensible to check if they have Public Liability Insurance (Responsabilidade Civil), which covers damage by them to you or your property. Also, if you’re expecting them to use a chainsaw or chemicals, you should check if they have the relevant safety equipment, certificates and licences.
How often do you need them and when to pay?
Many garden owners have relaxed arrangements with their gardeners and are happy to be flexible about which days they come, respecting seasonal changes. But when starting out with a new gardener, either on a regular basis or as a one-off job, establish exactly what you expect them to do.
If you need them regularly, agree with them how often they will come, depending on the size of garden.
Also agree with them how and when they will be paid. Some gardeners ask to be paid for their work in cash, others accept electronic payments.
Although most gardeners expect and like to work on their own, it can be helpful for both the owner and the gardener to meet up at least once in the day – often it’s over a cup of coffee – or at the start of the day to talk through what needs to be done. With an experienced gardener, a keen owner can learn a lot by working alongside them.
How much will it cost?
Rates vary according to the experience of the gardener, what you’re asking them to do, and whether they are solo operators or belong to a maintenance company.
Some have a fixed price for regular tasks such as pruning and hedge cutting. Ask for a quote for any specialist jobs such as tree work (make sure the surgeon is qualified and insured).
Hourly rates are usual for general work, but you will often be charged extra for waste removal and use of chemicals. Jobs involving power tools might be more expensive too.
Remember that it is your garden, and you should be available to pass on your instructions. Do not expect them to read your mind.
There are plenty of horror stories available – plants chopped in half, carefully nurtured flowering shrubs hacked back to main stems just before the flowers emerge, the horrid and totally unnecessary use of noisy leaf blowers and strimmers.
Making the lawn a priority went out with the dinosaurs! The current trend towards a more diverse and natural garden should make life easier and quieter.
If you can find someone with knowledge and good gardening skills, respect the part they can play in providing you with a quiet refuge and a lovely garden. Be prepared to pay for their services and nurture your gardener as much as your garden!
By Rosie Peddle
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