Whether you need a quick mowing job sorted, some pesky weeds removed from around the flowers in your front yard, or you need to hire a team of gardeners to spruce up your property when selling your home, you can find professional gardeners and landscapers in your local area to maintain your garden and make your surroundings lush all year round.

Here's what you need to know about garden maintenance experts.

What types of services do professional gardeners offer?

Within the umbrella term of 'gardener' there are many different types of gardening specialists. Some local services will offer to do anything and everything around your property, while others such as landscaper gardeners will be more specialised to their service offering.

Here are some of the jobs that professional gardeners offer.

• Mowing
• Weeding
• Hedge trimming
• Planting
• Pruning
• Spreading feed
• Spraying pesticides
• Complete garden redesign
• Landscape renovations
• Fruit and vegetable plots

What to look for in a gardener

Every gardener comes with their own unique experience and preferences. The good news is that you can find gardeners on hipages that have a range of talents and can offer your property different things. So make sure you speak to a few gardeners to get an idea of costings, vision and their ability to complete the job within your preferred timeframe.

If you are unsure how to differentiate gardeners, here are some things to look out for:

1. Be honest with your desires: While some gardeners may try to impose their own vision onto yours, the best will work to understand what you want and then create an even better version than you had imagined.
2. Ask about their gardening experience: You want to ensure the gardener you hire is qualified for the job, so ask about what type of similar projects they have worked on, do they have a portfolio of previous work they can show you, and why they feel they are the best person to take this job.
3. Ask for references: Especially when you are investing a serious amount of money into your gardens, such as by hiring a landscaper, it's important to check their references and speak to previous clients about what they are like to work with.
4. Settle on price: Get quotes from a few gardeners or landscapers you like and then settle on the price before the job begins. Often you may end up choosing a higher quote because that gardner is offering exactly what you want.
5. Licensing: Landscaping companies in Australia need to have their business registered and have a business permit. Make sure to check these and also ask about insurance.

Do I need to supply a gardener with equipment or supplies?

You can always offer your gardener the use of any equipment or supplies you have on hand, but more often than not they will have their own tools for the job.

Do the costs of hiring a gardener differ in different states?

Yes, although it depends on where you are based. While gardeners in major cities like Sydney and Melbourne may charge a higher rate to support the higher cost of metro living, if there is lots of competition in their local area then that could potentially drive down the hourly rate.

Make sure you do your research and compare different gardeners on hipages to figure out approximate costs.

What is landscape gardening?

Landscapers often describe their profession as an artform. In contrast to general garden maintenance jobs, landscaping involves designing landscapes that are not only eye-catching and exciting to look at, but functional for the home owner and maintainable – either by the owner or the landscaper. There are various aspects of landscaping, including:

• Planning and designing outdoor spaces.
• Creating new gardens, or fruit and veggie patches from scratch.
• Adding decorative compositions to the landscape.
• Planting flowers, trees, bushes and hedges.
• Supporting the client's vision with their own knowledge and experience to make the outcome even better.

In terms of cost, the average rate on hipages for someone to landscape a garden is between $55 and $70 per hour. However, most landscapers will quote you on the overall job. A good rule of thumb is to be prepared to pay anywhere from 5-10% of your home's value to have your gardens professionally landscaped.

What is the difference between lawn care and landscaping?

Lawn care is simply the process of maintaining grass on a property. This involves everything from mowing and edging to weeding and spraying.

By contrast, landscaping is a higher-level gardening profession that involves the complete design and build of a garden to be attractive, functional and maintainable. That’s why you will generally pay a landscaper more than someone to come out and mow your lawn.

What is the usual hourly rate to pay for garden maintenance?

If you only need a professional gardener for basic jobs like weeding or clearing out garden refuse, some gardeners advertise their rates as low as $30 per hour. However, for anything more complicated, labour intensive or time-consuming, you can expect the average hourly cost for gardeners to be between $60 to $80 per hour. Highly trained gardeners who are in demand for their skills and expertise can command rates of up to $120 per hour.

How much does a one-off gardener cost?

Depending on where you are around Australia, gardeners will set their price according to a number of factors. Generally you can expect gardening services professionals to charge anywhere from $60 per hour to $120 per hour.

Any one-off gardener cost will be dependent on the job. For instance, hiring someone to mow your lawn will likely end up being less expensive than getting them to cut away vines, uproot dead plants and dispose of green waste. Make sure you get a quote for the job to understand exactly how much your local gardener will cost.

Why should I hire a professional gardener?

While many Aussies love to get out into nature and take care of their gardens on their own, some of us simply don’t have the time in the day! For more complicated projects as well, a professional gardener or landscaper can bring your vision to life thanks to their skills and expertise.

Looking for an expert in garden maintenance to spruce up your surroundings? Find local gardeners in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and anywhere else around Australia with hipages.