A guide to begonia care.

Whether you need a one-off "jungle clearance," seasonal planting of begonias and bulbs, or routine maintenance, hiring a skilled gardener saves significant physical effort and prevents costly mistakes like over-pruning or misidentifying invasive species.

What Does the Work Involve?

• Lawn Care: Mowing, strimming edges, scarifying, and applying seasonal fertilisers or weed treatments.
• Border Maintenance: Weeding, mulching, and "deadheading" spent flowers to encourage new growth.
• Pruning and Topiary: Trimming hedges, shaping shrubs, and pruning fruit trees or roses at the correct biological time.
• Planting Schemes: Designing and installing seasonal bedding (like Begonias, Geraniums, or Pansies) and permanent perennials.
• Leaf Clearance: Seasonal collection and composting of fallen leaves to prevent lawn rot and slippery paths.
• Soft Landscaping: Basic soil improvement, turfing, and small-scale bark or gravel application.

Typical Costs

Gardening costs in the UK are typically charged by the hour for maintenance or by the project for clearances and planting. Prices vary based on your location (London and the South East often command a 20-30% premium) and whether the gardener provides their own petrol-powered machinery.

How Long Does It Take?

• Routine Tidy: 1–3 hours for a standard semi-detached garden (mow, edge, and light weeding).
• Seasonal Bedding: 2–4 hours to prep soil and plant out several trays of begonias or spring bulbs.
• Hedge Trimming: 2–6 hours depending on the height, length, and whether a scaffold/ladder is required.
• Major Clearance: 1–3 days for two people to tackle an abandoned or heavily overgrown plot.

DIY or Professional?

Basic weeding and mowing are manageable for most homeowners, but professional gardeners bring botanical expertise that prevents plant loss. They understand soil pH, pruning windows, and pest identification—knowledge that ensures your expensive plants actually survive the winter.

Professional gardeners carry Public Liability Insurance and use commercial-grade machinery (petrol or high-voltage cordless) that delivers a far superior finish than standard domestic equipment.

Choosing the Right Tradesperson

• Check Qualifications: Look for RHS (Royal Horticultural Society) or LANTRA certifications for high-end horticultural work.
• Insurance: Ensure they have Public Liability Insurance (minimum £1m-£2m) to cover damage to your property or neighbours.
• Waste Licence: Ask if they have an Environment Agency Waste Carrier Licence if they intend to take green waste off-site.
• Equipment: Confirm if they provide their own tools and if fuel costs are included in the quote.

Questions to ask:

• Do you charge for travel time or just time on-site?
• Are you comfortable working in wet weather, or do you reschedule?
• Can you identify and treat invasive species like Japanese Knotweed or Giant Hogweed?
• Do you offer a fixed schedule (e.g., fortnightly) or ad-hoc visits?

UK Regulations

• Pesticide Application: Gardeners must hold a PA1/PA6 certificate to apply professional-grade weedkillers or pesticides on your property.
• Wildlife Protection: It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act to disturb nesting birds (typically March to August) during hedge cutting.
• Tree Preservation Orders (TPO): You must check with your local council before a gardener prunes or fells a tree protected by a TPO.
• Waste Disposal: "Fly-tipping" green waste is illegal; ensure your gardener uses a legitimate waste transfer station.

Common Problems

• Poor Timing: Pruning spring-flowering shrubs in winter, which removes the following year's buds.
• Inadequate Drainage: Planting begonias or Mediterranean herbs in heavy clay soil without adding grit, leading to root rot.
• Mowing Too Short: "Scalping" the lawn during a dry spell, which kills the grass and encourages moss and weeds.
• Over-planting: Placing plants too close together, leading to poor air circulation and powdery mildew.

Frequently Asked Questions