A beautiful garden is a homeowner’s pride. Not only do trees provide you shade and vegetables take care of your resources, but an attractive garden is also soothing on the eye, a place for meditation, and above all, the perfect place to hold awesome outdoor parties. Well, if you want to show your garden off oh so proudly to your neighbours and friends, it is crucial to design it well, and most importantly, maintain it regularly. Our busy lives usually don’t allow us to work on our garden ourselves, and so we need professional gardeners to take a look at them. Here in this article, you will find five best ones that you can find in Mornington, Peninsula.
What exactly does a professional gardener do
Before choosing a gardener for yourself, you need to understand what exactly a gardener does, and what you can expect from him/her. It goes without saying, a gardener’s job is to keep a garden healthy and productive. The major areas of expertise of a gardener are:
- Designing what the garden will look like, and planning for the same.
- Choosing which plants are best for your property’s climate and location.
- Helping you purchase the right plants or seeds.
- Planting new trees, plants, bushes, and hedges.
- Watering and feeding plants as per requirement.
- Treating and preventing infections of plants.
- Keeping the soil healthy for optimum growth.
- Weeding, removing dead plants, and other maintenance of the garden.
However, remember, gardeners and landscapers, are usually different professions. The main job area of a landscaper is mowing the lawn or trimming the hedges. In fact, you will find several different kinds of gardening experts in Mornington, peninsula. Even though there are all-rounders who will perform all tasks equally, you may have to hire different specialists if you want better quality for the different assignments.
How to choose the right gardener for yourself
Finding the right gardener for yourself can be a tedious job. Not to worry, that is why we are here to help. Read on to find all that you need to know about the same.
- First, understand why you need a gardener
Hiring an employee, even when it is for your garden, involves research and investment of time. However, you will never find the right person if you, yourself, do not know what exactly you want him/her to do. Have a clear vision of your garden in your mind before you begin the interview process, even if you decide to recruit a designer. Below are a few questions you should ask yourself –
- What style of garden do you want? Is it oriental, English, Woodland, Formal, Informal, a bit of all?
- What will you use the garden area for? Do you want children to play there, host parties there, or simply want to have a peaceful land all to yourself?
- Do you want special features in your garden, such as hedge statues, garden arches, pergolas, xeriscapes, and the like?
- What kind of trees and plants would be suitable for your garden? Do you want more flowering plants or more fruit plants? (Also learn about the risks of having them. For example, fruit plants come with a huge possum problem)
- Think about the business aspects of the arrangement
It goes without saying that the more grandeur you want in your garden, the more you will end up spending. Therefore, without a budget to limit yourself, you will most likely go bankrupt decorating your garden. Research the prices of the items you expect in your garden as well as the installer/gardener’s usual wage, how frequently you want your gardener to visit your premises, and the day and time suitable to you.
- Do your homework
When it comes to a profession like gardening, a degree or one interview is often not enough. Remember, you will be letting this person near your home. So it is very important that you do an in-depth background check about trustworthiness, reliability, skills, and experience. If you have a referral from a trustworthy person, it’s well and good, otherwise, try to contact the previous clients of the potential gardeners and seek reviews before you start interviewing.
- Decide whom you would call a qualified gardener for yourself
It is up to you how you will decide if a person is qualified for being your gardener or not. A degree may not be extremely necessary, however, it is important that you test the person’s fitness for the capability of physical labour and skills with gardening tools, knowledge of plants, as well as his/her reliability. Interview the person thoroughly and make him/her perform some practical physical tasks as well, if you want.
- Verify licenses and equipment
In Australia, a gardening or landscaping business needs to register their company and obtain a business permit. Normally, an individual would have their company listed as a sole trader and a bigger operation would be listed as a limited liability company. They also need to have insurance to protect both their company and client. This covers damage, theft, third-party property damage, and product liability; which means that they will be compensated for any injury during the project.
You should also make sure the person has all the right tools for the job, like pruner, grass trimmer, leaf blower, lawnmower, rakes, shovels, etc. For some more complicated projects, highly specialised machinery and gardening instrument may be required.
5 top gardening experts in Mornington Peninsula
There are plenty of gardening experts in Mornington, Peninsula. However, only the best in the business will be able to produce the best results for you. Below we have mentioned five of them. You take your pick:
- Bulleen Art and Garden
This company has dedicated itself towards sustainable gardening that has the least negative impact on the environment. Bulleen Art and Garden has one of Mornington’s biggest ranges of herbs, fruit and veggies and they specialise in indigenous, native, and low water use plants. They are also very creative in their designs and are passionate about creating an artistic garden for their clients.
- AT Garden spaces
This is a female-owned and operated landscaping duo, who endeavour to design and build gardens that coexist with nature. They emphasise on helping the environment through promoting Australian native and indigenous plant species, mixed with raw element materials such as rock, stone, and timber. They create gardens that last years while harnessing resources from nature and at the same time contributing to her through ingeniously designed recycling procedures.
- Jim’s Gardening
Jim’s Gardening is committed to providing affordable and professional lawn mowing and gardening services to the local community. They have separate specialised teams to assist you with everything that your garden needs – garden makeover and landscaping, garden care, irrigation supply and installation, lawn restoration and repair, pruning and hedging, weeding and pest control, fertilising, rubbish removal, and gutter cleaning. At Jim’s Gardening, you receive personalised service tailored to your particular needs and requirements.
- Edible Eden Design
Edible Eden Design is all about combining beauty with productivity. Their gardens are made for harvesting, preserving, seed saving, teaching and connecting with nature. It is created by a woman who was passionate about home gardening and mastered the art of the same by working towards it for 20 years. The company offers onsite consultation and design service for home gardens, which can include installation guidance.
- The Garden Company | The Pool Company
This is a dynamic, progressive multi-award winning landscape and pool construction company, extremely famous for the highest standards in prestigious, traditional, and contemporary landscaping since 1999. They not only design your garden, they specialise in texturing a sophisticated and outlandish outdoor experience for you. The company participates regularly at the Melbourne International Flower and Garden Show winning Gold and Silver for exhibits over the years.
Conclusion
There are a plethora of options when it comes to gardening and landscaping services in Mornington, Peninsula. No need to be confused by the options. Keep in mind what you need from your garden, follow the above tips for the hiring process, and enjoy a beautifully made garden just for you!
