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Quick Answer
For a typical UK family garden of around 100 to 200 square metres, expect to pay 30 to 60 pounds per visit for a gardener spending 1 to 2 hours. Most clients book fortnightly visits, which works out at 60 to 120 pounds per month. Larger gardens with lawns, hedges and multiple borders can run from 150 to 400 per month.
The hourly rate for a professional gardener in southern England in 2026 ranges from 30 to 50 pounds per hour, with a typical visit lasting 1.5 to 3 hours. Cheaper rates are available but usually mean unqualified or uninsured gardeners, which is a false economy.
Typical monthly costs
Small courtyard garden, monthly visit: 40 to 80 per month
Family garden, fortnightly: 80 to 180 per month
Large garden with lawn, fortnightly: 180 to 350 per month
Premium estate garden, weekly: 400 to 800 per month
What Affects the Cost of Garden Maintenance
Garden size
This is the biggest factor. A small courtyard garden can be kept tidy in an hour. A large family garden with a lawn, several beds and a hedge takes 2 to 3 hours per visit. Most maintenance gardeners can cover about 80 to 100 square metres of mixed garden per hour.
Frequency of visits
Fortnightly visits are the sweet spot for most UK gardens. Weekly visits are needed only for very formal gardens or large estates. Monthly visits are cheaper but the garden can look shaggy between visits, especially in the growing season. Most clients find that fortnightly from March to October and monthly through winter works well.
Standard of finish
There are three broad levels of maintenance:
- Basic tidy: mowing, edging, weeding, light pruning. The garden looks presentable but not manicured.
- Well-kept: all of the above plus deadheading, more careful pruning, hedge trimming in season, leaf clearance. The garden looks like it is being looked after.
- Premium estate standard: everything plus specialised care, season-specific work, formal lawn treatment, specimen plant care. The garden looks like a National Trust property.
Premium standard can cost 2 to 3 times what a basic tidy costs. Most family gardens sit comfortably in the well-kept bracket.
Lawn size
The lawn is usually the most time consuming part of a maintenance visit. A small lawn takes 20 minutes to mow and edge. A large lawn of 200 square metres takes an hour. If you want the lawn striped or cut to a specific height with a cylinder mower, expect to pay more.
Hedges
Hedges need cutting once or twice a year depending on species. Beech and yew need one cut. Privet needs three or four. A 20 metre hedge takes about 3 hours to cut both sides and top. Hedge cutting is usually billed as a separate job rather than included in the regular maintenance price.
Waste removal
If you have a council green waste bin, your gardener can put cuttings in it for free. If not, you need to either compost at home, take waste to the tip yourself, or pay for waste removal. We charge a small fee per visit for waste removal, typically 15 to 25 pounds.
What Should Be Included in a Maintenance Visit
A proper maintenance visit should include:
- Lawn mowing and edging
- Weeding of beds and borders
- Deadheading of flowering plants
- Light pruning of shrubs and perennials
- Sweeping of paths and patios
- Check of any irrigation or watering
- Removal of all waste
It should not include major landscaping, tree surgery, hedge cutting of large hedges, or specialist work like lawn renovation. These are quoted separately.
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How to Choose a Gardener
Check insurance
Public liability insurance is essential. If a gardener damages your property or injures someone, the insurance covers the cost. Ask for proof of insurance. We carry public liability insurance.
Check qualifications
There is no legal requirement for gardeners to be qualified, but a professional gardener should have some horticultural training. Look for RHS qualifications, City and Guilds or NVQ in horticulture. These show a commitment to the trade.
Ask for references
Any established gardener should be able to give you contact details for two or three existing clients. Ask them about reliability, quality of work and how the garden looks. See our portfolio page for examples of our work.
Get it in writing
A proper maintenance agreement should specify the frequency of visits, what is included, the price per visit, and the terms of cancellation. Verbal agreements lead to misunderstandings. We always confirm in writing before starting regular work.
Watch out for red flags
- Quotes that are significantly cheaper than others (often means no insurance or cash in hand only)
- No business address or landline
- Unwilling to put anything in writing
- Pressure to pay cash
- No
Seasonal Considerations
Spring (March to May)
This is the busiest time for gardeners. Borders need clearing, lawns need their first cut, hedges need attention. Expect slightly higher rates as demand peaks. Book early to secure a regular slot.
Summer (June to August)
The growing season. Lawns need weekly cutting if you want them looking good. Weeds grow fastest. Most maintenance clients have fortnightly visits through summer.
Autumn (September to November)
Leaf clearance is the big job. Lawns slow down. Good time for planting perennials and shrubs. Most clients drop to monthly visits as growth slows.
Winter (December to February)
Quiet season. Lawns do not need cutting unless very mild. Borders need clearing of dead growth. Hedges can be pruned (avoiding conifers and evergreens in freezing weather). Many clients pause maintenance through January, restarting in February.
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How to Reduce Maintenance Costs
Plant low-maintenance varieties
Some plants need regular deadheading, pruning and dividing. Others look after themselves. See our guide to low-maintenance plants for Chiltern gardens for recommendations.
Reduce lawn area
Lawns are the most labour-intensive part of a garden. Replacing some lawn with beds of shrubs and ground cover can reduce maintenance significantly. A 50 square metre shrub bed takes 30 minutes to maintain per year. The same area of lawn takes 30 minutes per week in summer.
Use ground cover plants
Ground cover plants like hardy geraniums, bergenia and epimedium suppress weeds and reduce the amount of hand weeding needed. A well-planted border needs much less attention than an empty one.
Install irrigation
A simple drip irrigation system on a timer can save hours of watering each week, especially for containers and newly planted areas. We install basic systems from 250 pounds.
Mulch annually
A 5cm layer of bark or compost mulch in spring suppresses weeds for the whole season and reduces watering. A one-off mulch can save 30 percent of maintenance time through the year.
Try Our Maintenance Calculator
We have built a quick calculator that gives you a monthly estimate range based on your garden size, frequency and standard of finish. It takes 2 minutes and gives you a wide range rather than a specific price, because every garden is different.
Use the garden care level assessment
Final Thoughts
The cheapest gardener is rarely the best value. A gardener charging 25 pounds an hour may take twice as long as one charging 40 pounds an hour, and the quality of work may be lower. A good professional gardener pays for themselves by keeping your garden healthy, spotting problems early, and freeing up your weekends.
If you have a garden that needs regular care, the best first step is a free site visit. We can assess the garden, suggest a realistic maintenance schedule and give you a written quote. There is no obligation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to be at home for maintenance visits?
No. Most of our regular clients are at work or away. We agree access arrangements in advance. Most clients give us a key or leave a side gate unlocked. We always lock up after ourselves.
Can I pay monthly?
Yes. We offer monthly direct debit for regular maintenance clients. The annual cost is split into 12 equal payments, which makes budgeting easier. Most clients prefer this to paying per visit.
What if I want to skip a visit?
No problem. Just give us 48 hours notice. We can also add extra visits if you are preparing for a party or selling the house.
Do you work in winter?
Yes. Winter visits are mostly about keeping the garden tidy, clearing leaves and preparing for spring. We avoid cutting hedges in freezing weather and do not mow lawns when the ground is waterlogged.
When budgeting for garden work on mature properties, allow a contingency for unexpected issues such as buried rubble, old foundations or drainage problems that only become visible during the work.
Put this advice into practice
Use the relevant CGM tool or follow a related guide, then send us a few photos if you would like a tailored plan.
Sources and citations
This article draws on the following sources. Specific claims are cited inline where relevant.
- CGM field records (2024-07. Site observations from gardens across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Bedfordshire.
- Royal Horticultural Society (2024). RHS Gardening Advice and Plant Finder. Available at rhs.org.uk.
- Met Office (2024). Regional climate averages, South East England. Available at metoffice.gov.uk.
- British Geological Survey (2024). Soil parent material data for the Chilterns and Thames Valley. Available at bgs.ac.uk.