Need to get your garden in shape for spring? We’ve got the lowdown on how much it'll cost to get the professionals in
With warm weather and sunshine on the horizon, our gardens are officially back in business.
READ MORE: Easy gardening hacks to take the graft out of growing
But after months of storms and erratic weather, your backyard might not be in the best shape and some professional help could be the quickest way to transform your outdoor space.
But for many, the big question will be how much does it cost to hire a local gardener?
Average cost of a gardener
According to HaMuch, the average cost of a gardener across the UK is £27 an hour. With the cost of living continuing to increase, it's important to know you're getting a good price when it comes to your garden.
But it turns out there are big differences in how much horticultural pros are charging around the country.
The district of Wychavon in Gloucestershire features the heftiest price tag for a gardener, with the highest prices there coming in at a staggering £170 an hour. Meanwhile, Chester and Salisbury have the joint highest day rate at £266.
Areas with the highest average cost for a gardener
| Location |
Average hourly rate |
Average day rate |
| Wychavon | £170 | £197 |
| Solihull | £52 | £167 |
| Birmingham | £51 | £167 |
| Dudley | £50 | £166 |
| Sandwell | £48 | £165 |
| Vale of Glamorgan | £37 | £213 |
| North and West Wiltshire | £36 | £246 |
| London | £36 | £244 |
| St Albans | £36 | £242 |
| Epping Forest | £36 | £240 |
The very cheapest gardeners were found in Redcar and Cleveland, where the lowest price available was a very reasonable £15 per hour, while the lowest daily rate was also found in the North Yorkshire region, at just £90.
Middlesborough, North East Lincolnshire and Stockton-on-Tees are also affordable when it comes to horticultural help, with an average hourly rate of £15.
Areas with the lowest average cost for a gardener
| Location |
Average hourly rate |
Average day rate |
| Redcar and Cleveland | £15 | £90 |
| Middlesborough | £15 | £104 |
| North East Lincolnshire | £15 | £106 |
| Stockton-on-Tees | £15 | £104 |
| Carmarthenshire | £15 | £125 |
| East Lindsey | £16 | £125 |
| Plymouth | £16 | £130 |
| South and South Ayrshire | £17 | £129 |
| Suffolk Coast | £18 | £158 |
| Warwick | £19 | £160 |
| North Lincolnshire | £19 | £166 |
As well as geographical price differences, the cost of employing a gardener will of course vary depending on the scope of the job at hand. Mowing the lawn, for example, will naturally be a far cheaper task than say digging out a pond or creating new flower beds.
Here's how much you can expect to pay for the most common gardening projects according to HaMuch's data.
Average cost of gardening jobs
| Job details | Cost estimate |
| Weeding a garden | £45 |
| Turfing a lawn | £200 |
| Pruning a tree | £50 |
| Planting shrubs | £25 |
| Mowing a lawn | £25 |
| Garden clearance (removal of ivy and weeds, and hedge trimming) | £80 |
| General garden maintenance (2 hours) | £50 |
| Jet-washing paths, driveway, gutters, walls and patio | £110 |
| Levelling part of a garden and creating flower beds and a pathway | £300 |
| Levelling part of a garden and laying a patio | £300 |
| Digging up a section of a garden and creating a pond | £400 |
| Clearing a garden and laying artificial turf | £60 per square metre |
| Replacing a wooden fence | £500 |
| Building a wooden shed on an existing base | £200 |
A good investment
The good news is that any money poured into your garden should be money well spent.
According to a study of 1,282 UK homebuyers by bridging lender Market Financial Solutions in 2021, a garden or outdoor space is now the single most important factor for house-hunters looking for their next home.
A whopping 92% of respondents said it was either important or very important, more so than even a property’s square footage.
For those planning garden projects that require more of a cash injection than a simple tidy-up, research by My Tool Shed could help you decide whether spending big will pay off.
The online retailer found that decking could add 10% to the value of a home, as could bi-folding doors to the garden.
With more people now embracing hybrid working lifestyles, garden offices and rooms have also become more valuable, adding 5-15% to a property’s value.
Need some inspiration for your next garden project?
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