Short answer: One of the most common questions homeowners face is: how often should a gardener come? There is no single answer to this, and it depends on the size of your property, how healthy your garden is, your budget, and how much DIY you can do!
TL;DR
- Months when the grass grows fast, like April to September, justify weekly visits.
- For a tiny, low-maintenance garden or during the winter months, monthly gardening services usually suffice.
- Fortnightly lies somewhere in between, and most homeowners agree, as it balances budget, time, and upkeep.
- Adapting your garden care routine to the changing seasons helps plants survive, grow, and thrive.
A well-maintained, beautiful-looking garden quickly adds to the appeal of your entire home; however, it requires consistent care, attention, and the expertise of a skilled, experienced gardener. Read on to learn how often you should hire a gardener to keep your garden in top shape.
How Often Should You Hire a Gardener: Weekly, Fortnightly or Monthly?
- Weekly: Calling the gardener weekly is ideal for the busy months, say April to September. It’s warm and wet during these months, and the grass grows at an alarmingly fast rate, which eventually causes it to lose its shape. Mowing often also helps the lawn because removing more than a third of the blade in one go stresses it.
- Fortnightly: This is the garden-cleaning frequency most families end up with. By calling up the gardeners fortnightly, you get a tidy lawn, borders that stay under control and weeds that get yanked before they seed.
- Monthly: It generally works well for no-fuss, low-maintenance gardens, as well as during winter months. If your garden is mostly grass or slow-growing plants, then calling up the gardeners monthly can be a good choice.
What Decides How Often You Should Hire a Gardener?
Several signs indicate it’s time to call gardeners, and they are as follows:
- The season, obviously: July and January are different worlds so the same garden can want weekly care in one and monthly care in the other.
- How you use it. Kids, dogs and barbecues are brutal on lawns. So, if you like partying or spending your weekends in your garden, you will often need a gardener.
- How much you'll honestly do yourself. Lots of people say they'll handle the mowing and hire someone for the rest, and then the mowing slips too. But if you perform regular garden care without missing a beat, you will need a gardener less often, or only when professional assistance and guidance are required.
- Budget: Regular short visits tend to cost less over the year than one huge catch-up job, and it's worth asking for a quote for both.
- There are weeds: If weeds return faster than you can clear them out, you need a professional to come to your garden from time to time to apply targeted weed control and prevention strategies.
- The plants are not keeping up well: If your plants are struggling or dying, the leaves are turning yellow, flowers fail to bloom, or their stems look leggy or weak despite your best efforts, a professional gardener can assess the cause and recommend an appropriate care schedule.
Why Choose Home Legends for Your Garden Care in St Albans?
- Home Legends does the day-to-day garden jobs, like mowing, weeding, planting, hedge trimming and general upkeep. In addition, our expert gardeners offer professional lawn care and treatments. You can book regular help or a one-off job, whichever suits.
- Our team cleans windows, clears gutters, and pressure-washes patios and driveways, which means one phone call instead of three and one team for all your home services.
- We’re based in Milton Keynes but also cover Northampton, Bedford, Leighton Buzzard, Luton and St Albans.
Conclusion
So, how often should you hire a gardener? For a simple, small garden, monthly or even fortnightly visits may be sufficient, while more complex gardens with a variety of plants and trees may require weekly or additional specialist care.
Ultimately, the goal is to find a balance that keeps your garden in top shape while staying within your budget and time constraints.
If you're hunting for gardeners St Albans homeowners can count on, Home Legends is worth a call, since one team can handle the garden, windows, gutters, and patio.
Other than this, our team can provide you with the right guidance and clear information on how often you should call us (only when required), without unnecessary pressure or incorrect guidance.
Contact us to request a free quote.
FAQs
Is weekly gardening worth it?
Often, yes, especially between spring and early autumn. Know that little jobs done every week are quicker than a big one done every month.
Can I change how often they come?
Yes, you can change it at any time based on the level of attention and care your garden requires. Plenty of people go weekly or fortnightly in summer and drop to monthly for winter.
Do I need a gardener in winter?
Yes, a monthly gardener visit in winter is highly beneficial. Although grass growth slows in cold weather, leaf clearance, winter weeding and appropriate seasonal pruning can still be needed. Pruning timing depends on the species.
Keeping up with monthly maintenance prevents a massive cleanup job when spring arrives.
How can I tell I'm not booking often enough?
If the lawn needs cutting before the next visit, the weeds are flowering, or the borders look scruffy, book more often.
About the Author: The Home Legends Team
Home Legends is a home services company based in Milton Keynes. The team looks after gardens, lawns, windows, gutters and outdoor surfaces. They cover Northampton, Bedford, Leighton Buzzard, Luton, St Albans and the surrounding areas. They're available Monday to Friday.