Can you trust a Gardener?

[@HBomb1983]

Please come back! We appreciate you :-)

[@marksfishfrenzy]

Hi are you still around? Just wanted to mention I watched your videos in November 2018 and started my own gardening business and still going strong. Thanks for the advice and hope you decide to do some more videos I found them very helpful.

[@TKG]

Not heard from you for a while hope you are well and keeping busy, look forward to seeing some new videos

[@frankryan782]

Lots of people claiming to be gardeners are just grass cutting contractors with no interest in plants or presentation. . Our contractor (calls himself a gardener ) has never planted anything just cuts grass and sprays chemicals. You show an interest which will always lead to knowledge. .

[@lincsfencingandgardeningse9128]

Unfortunately there are more people out there ripping customers off and looking for a quick buck. Plus most people don't think of gardening as a proper trade or skill so we will never get the recommendation as other trades.

[@jasongardener3425]

Professional gardener are so under rated, by the public and other trades, the preconception that anyone can do it, which we know is not true, our investment in skills and tools is much more than many trades, yet we get the short end of the stick. Great video Simon 👌👍

[@westcountrygardenpro7535]

Agree 100% Jason. Hope you are good and that life is treating you well.

[@jasongardener3425]

Thanks Simon, yes all good this way, work very busy so can't moan, hope you and yours are keeping well too mate. 👍

[@thegeordiefellwalker8878]

sure i seen you presenting top of the pops lol. joking aside mate.gardeners no matter how well qualified are just not looked upon as skilled & probably never will be sadly. but all trades have good & bad.i am not as qualified as yourself but only do jobs i can do to a good standard & keep my good reputation (hopefully).to be honest i would rather be classed as a garden maintenance operative .i still class myself as a professional as i make my living doing it.ah well i came in at number 8 with my old trade of 15 year as a double glazing installer them dodgy gardeners never trusted them LOL stay busy mate atb.

[@robhornett4131]

Its a public mind set that will never change, a friend of mine in France said to go and work over there as they appreciate what you know, what you do and how you do it. For a land of gardeners we have a lot to learn from our continental cousins. As you said we have to up our game and prove why we are worth what we ask for and change the publics opinion of this highly skilled, underestimated and undervalued profession. Good vid mate, hope all's well with you.

[@westcountrygardenpro7535]

MEDLAR LANDSCAPING amen to that!

[@jamesgardenservice3075]

Its all about finding the people who value our service. Most people don't know how good there garden can look. a good gardener is an artist, who is organised and disciplined. Someone who makes people feel at ease and can provide then with more than they know is possible. You cant put price on that.

[@westcountrygardenpro7535]

James Garden Service Spot on James. I'm lucky that I have managed to find a lot of those customers but it has taken years to get them and a lot of sorting through the rubbish. It's great when you can get one and they put their trust in you as it is then a mutually beneficial relationship. Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts.

[@GregsMowing]

Worth noting us gardeners obviously need to know the application format to doing the services. Same as other trades. But I think us gardeners have the most amount of kit as well as expensive kit. Mechanics have a lot also but I think it’s over looked. We have a thousand pound mower. Few hundred pound strimmer. Few hundred quid hedge cutter, blower. Ladders. And loads of other stuff. All the insurances etc. What’s a painter got? A few brushes and ladders.

[@westcountrygardenpro7535]

Totally agree Greg. I'm sure its the same for you but the amount you have to invest when starting up, then repairing and replacing when it inevitably breaks down, is just an ongoing cycle of money going out!

[@robertdavies850]

Great video Simon, having spent 15 years as a plant propagator and field crops grower, I was always well respected for my knowledge, yet the gardeners who worked at the nursery tending the display gardens were just treated as 'just gardeners ' yet their knowledge of plants was just as good if not better thsn mine! Keep fighting!

[@onionthemillionairetrader7405]

Hope you upload a new video soon Simon, your a great gardener with lots more information to share I’m sure 👍

[@rexbarrett788]

Eoweed garden service Hi mate, been a horticulturist for over 25 years now,qualified in South Africa, did my practical year building a golf course, worked for wholesale and retail nurseries, did landscaping. All went tits up in SA so worked for myself but because of the security issues, it was not feasible to vary on there. I emigrated to the UK,worked on different golf courses in Scotland, then worked with different city councils Did not see myself very far,so I got an opportunity to work as a sole trader as a horticulturist, In summer it is great,I have a few winter jobs,but not enough I am good at what I do and keep my customers, but I don't take that for granted. For over 3 years now I have charged customers an hourly rate of £25.wich the customers are happy with, but things are going up in price ,so how much is the going rate now for a fully qualified gardener with years of service Thanks Rex

[@houghtongardenservices4362]

How come you don't make video's anymore? I was looking forward to your vids this year.

[@westcountrygardenpro7535]

Bored with them mate. Not what I want to talk about.

[@stuarteldergill]

Just subscribed to your channel. Thinking of taking the plunge into my own gardening business. Keep up the good work.

[@maxwellsgrasscuttingservices]

Do you have a minimum price for regular lawn cutting, ie £25 per cut per two weeks. Great videos , thanks.

[@TheBirdymusic]

I think what we need is more media awareness of what a good knowledgeable gardener can do vs an unskilled cowboy. The public needs to be aware of the benefits of having a knowledgeable/ qualified gardener. A mistake can take years to rectify, some plants will not grow back if cut to a certain depth, etc. Somehow this needs to be conveyed to potential customers so that they take the title “professional gardener” more seriously. Thanks for another good vid 👍🏼

[@westcountrygardenpro7535]

Ben Simpson totally agree with all you say Ben

[@frankryan782]

Enjoyed your videos, I notice you stop making videos around covid time I hope covid didn't effect you or your business. . I had a few self employed friends suffer during lock down. . Hopefully you are back gardening or planning a come back 👌

[@grahamstreet596]

im not haveing a pop at any one so dont thing that at all. i stumbled into gardening after being made redundant 6 years ago from a job of 28 years and at 50 redundence is the last thing you wont. i have never advertised and have all ways had work 6 days aweek 52 weeks a year. i hold keys for multi million pounds houses and rental properties. and not a bad egg amoungs the people i work for. as every trade there is good and bad i certianly dont need which mag to tell me weather people trust me or not. life speaks for its self if you have plenty of work then you must be doing something right. in saying that with out the videos you chaps do i would have to spendhalf my life reading books which i hate your videos help no end. so keep up the good work keep the videos coming and trust in your self and people will trust in you. on a slightlyfunny note my first gardening job was offeredto me by a sparky hahahaha many thanks graham

[@jaysgardens4626]

We're have you gone👍

[@robbiegalt8064]

Also the top three jobs people take up when the get made unemployed or when they have a shift pattern that gives them spare time are window cleaners, painter and gardeners.

[@westcountrygardenpro7535]

Robbie Galt didn't know that Robbie but can't say it is surprising. Thanks for taking the time to comment sir.

[@zarrow50]

You rarely hear people asking if you know a Gardener you can trust! I think that is because most people think you can't do any real damage unless you are going to start building something.

[@chrissyjohnson1937]

Everyone starts off as unskilled... Then gains knowledge as they continue on.

[@Rollsgardenservice]

Couldn’t agree more with this video. Customers are happy to give a sparky £100+ per hour but think we’re ripping them off at £25 per hour because we are ‘just a gardener’. Again I agree there are too many people doing this job who haven’t a clue on what they are doing and with this I have had countless jobs where I’ve been called to fix a garden a previous ‘gardener’ has butchered.

[@greendayzgardengroundsmain9793]

Are you charging £25 an hour!? I need to put my prices up then.

[@westcountrygardenpro7535]

Matt Rolls Sorry for the slow reply Matt. You're comment is spot on mate, and I feel your frustration coming through. I had a customer of mine the other day have his driveway and small patio pressure washed. The company did a great job and took about 4 hrs...cost £550....my heart sank but the customer was thrilled. Can imagine if I'd given an hourly rate of £125+....the response would have contained the word 'off!'. Keep fighting the good fight.

[@hfed2657]

I don't think it matters that gardeners, landscapers and the like weren't surveyed. In any trade if you are good at it ( or like myself, know what you know you can or can't do for a prospective customer ), are completely up front about this when offering a service they will appreciate that and if what you do provide for them is sound and not overpriced they will recommend you to others. There will be good tradesmen and bad tradesmen in every business. The more bad ones in gardening the better it is for the good ones who's reputations will grow like wildfire.

[@mowtownni4587]

Chelsea flower show, I don't see the Electricians version of that. There is an image problem but I think it is improving and certainly helped by the multitude of garden makeover shows. We are a luxury for many people, and I never forget that, but as you say good gardeners are always in demand. Great topic for a video.

[@westcountrygardenpro7535]

Mowtown NI You make two good points...one that it is a luxury service for many people. The garden makeovers have a good and bad side, good in that it shows just what can be created within a small space with some flair and imagination. The down side of them I find is that they are often unrealistic on the costs of these projects, rarely giving true costs with labour etc. Thanks for the comment sir.

[@Buddygaming8229]

It was the same with the heat wave warning last year to builder,carpenters,and other out door trade men and gardeners where not mentioned lol

[@wayneessar7489]

Where I live there are agricultural universities but you don't see the graduates working residential landscape care. They go on to be golf course superintendents and manage sports grounds. That is if they choose turf grass. Marijuana is set to be legalized here in October and green house skills are very much in demand and the money is much better than growing vegetables. Floriculture also attracts the graduates, owning and managing flower shops. Here a person with a mower, blower and string trimmer advertises as a Gardner with no knowledge of doing anything that promotes plant growth only removal, like a garbage man.

[@westcountrygardenpro7535]

Wayne Essar can't remember where you are Wayne? Was it Oz or US? Certainly there are other routes outside of domestic gardening. I guess you must have higher end domestic gardens that people need more than a grass cutter for as well though? Good points

[@wayneessar7489]

West Country Garden Pro Canada.

[@robbiegalt8064]

It piss me off when you go to B&Q you purchase flowers, compost, fence panels, fence post, weed membrane, you flip out the trade card and bugger all off the cost Your customer ask you to put a pond in. You purchase sand cement and piping you filp the card out you get discount. When major retailers don't even recognise our trade. We will always struggle

[@andrewjohn7952]

Where’s he went???

[@mantrafiscus]

One of the troubles I always think is that anyone can do gardening but what they don't realise is that they will never do it as well as a gardener can because they don't have the knowledge that you speak of.

[@westcountrygardenpro7535]

Amen to that sister!

[@andycampsall3832]

Hi mate just subscribed. Great videos. Have you got a qualification in gardening? I’m a gardener but self taught should I get a qualification if I was to go self employed?

[@westcountrygardenpro7535]

I have got a qual which is the RHS Level 2. Some will use you because of it, most never ask unless during general conversation. Most of my gardening skills were learnt on the job doing it, working with other experienced gardeners. I can remember very little of my RHS course!

[@andycampsall3832]

West Country Garden Pro So is a qualification a waste of time?

[@LHLgardenservices]

WELL SAID SIMON 👍👍👍

[@aaron6841]

People understand we are highly skilled in gardening that doesn't mean they want to pay for our services

[@josephmccole4132]

Great video. Thanks

[@jayluas7626]

Have you given up KZbin mate 👍

[@wonderingthoughts926]

“Gardeners aren’t trades people”, essentially a gardener is seen as a labourer with an interest in plants.

[@englandrose1]

I was enjoying this video until you said latin names. Shame...ding....shame...ding...shame...etc