Do You Employ a Residential Gardener?

[Bob the brush]

I don't think I would notice scratches and swirls on my van, just like it to look clean and shiny when I turn up to a client's property, first impressions are everything.

[Goin2drt]

OP I do and agree with your assessment. The days on fixing sprinklers, adjusting irrigation to perfection and the artistry of picking plants to make the landscape look good is over. My guy is basically weed, trim and blow. I don't know anything about landscape and for me have too many other hobbies to care. I just know when things look good (or bad).

[tritium8]

Agreed but we get what we pay for. <$100/month for our "gardener". He does a job I don't have time to do. Like someone else said, would rather spend time with the family.

[Rock]

I'm retired but the Wife likes to do the gardening which suits me as I'm not that interested.
We are gearing up to move to a low-set house on a flat block so we can continue to do the maintenance ourselves for a decade or so more.
I hate leaf-blowers. All they do is make your problem someone elses.

[BristolCavendish]

Originally Posted by Rock

I hate leaf-blowers. All they do is make your problem someone elses.

I agree and would like to see them banned due to their noise pollution and the countless ways they spread dust, debris and pollen-related allergens all over the neighborhood. Whatever happened to gardeners using a traditional rake and grass catcher? I suspect that without a leaf blower strapped to their back, 90% of these so-called 'gardeners' would be utterly lost and possibly in search of another occupation.

[Widows Son]

I finally surrendered this Spring. Hired Grassmaster to do the weed control. I figured out the cost, by the time I bought all the bags of stuff, it was cheaper to have them do it. My neighbor does my snow plowing and cutting if I'm too busy. Clippings are collected, and edging is crisp and perfect. It's well worth it when I have too much other stuff on my plate.

[BoomerSooner]

Does my 13 year old son count as my gardener/lawn mower??...lol

[mjclark32]

Rehashing this a bit. Trugreen has been fired. They've just about killed a Japanese maple out front and there are still some weeds in the back.
I'm thinking I do a pretty good job myself:

[BristolCavendish]

Originally Posted by mjclark32

Rehashing this a bit. Trugreen has been fired. They've just about killed a Japanese maple out front and there are still some weeds in the back.

How does one go about killing a Japanese maple tree? We have several older ones that go through their seasonal changes but they continue to linger on.

As others have stated previously, simply strapping on a leaf-blower does not make one a professional gardener.

[East Bay Rider]

I do it myself. I don't enjoy it and I can't claim to be very good at it either.
My neighbor and I both have small lawns. We both figured out that it didn't do us much good each having a mower of our own so we share. I paid for the push mower and he stores it in his shed and provides the gas and additives. We never have any conflicts. We agree to keep it clean and maintained. It has a Honda engine and it runs well.