I want to employ a gardener for our house garden in Liverpool. It's too big for me to look after. Does anyone have any suggestions in how best to go about advertising for one and how to tell how good those answering are?
What is a fair hourly rate?
Many thanks
Mark
Could you ask at your neighborhood nursery? They might have a ballpark idea...or even recommend gardeners.
HB
This is an international group. Check in local papers.
D
Thanks HB, that was the kind of answer I was looking for.
I'm not sure if the problem is that everyone thinks the answer is so obvious it's not worth stating? Or no-one here has any experience employing gardeners because they're doing it all themselves?
Mark
****Now, now, Mark, simmer down...this is a friendly group; no harm intended.
Can't say how our long-distance friends function, but I have a long- time gardener to mow & edge. Everything else I do myself. (!!!!)
My deal with Antonio: Mow & edge one week; next week do some big job that is getting too much for me or I don't want to bother.
Ex: Prune a very large shrub (he always does an artistic job), or trim the large front hedge, or weed some particularly noxious bed, or.... It's been working out fine for years. He also gives his requested input on plans.
I fix him a nice breakfast/snack/coffee every week, which he seems to enjoy and I give him lemons from my tree. .
HB
It could also be that they are nowhere near you and are not wasting your time with local information that is irrelevant.
D
Thanks D, let me clarify.
I'm not looking for advice specific to Liverpool, although maybe anyone trying to help might wonder wherabouts I am. I'm a total novice looking for some general principles on how where to look and how to pick someone if I have some options.
I'm not the only one - if you do a google search for "i need a gar" the top search is "I need a gardener". Does anybody rate any of the sites you get on this search, by the way?
Mark
The general principles are the same for engaging any worker who is going to work at your place. How do engage a plumber or a housekeeper? How do you tell if a plumber is any good if you are not skilled in that work yourself? There is nothing special about gardeners in that respect, use the same approach.
When you asked for an hourly rate your *were* asking for specific information about Liverpool. How will the going rate at Dungog in AU$ help?
David
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