Do You Need A Garden Appraisal?

Is the garden getting too much for you? Or do you want to take it up a notch, deal with a difficult corner, or have you just moved into a new garden? A garden appraisal, or a visit from an expert gardener, could make all the difference.

If you’ve just moved to a new house, you probably want to find out what you already have and how to look after it. If you want to make improvements, make your garden easier to care for or transform a difficult area, think about what kinds of gardens you like and don’t like. Make a list of what you use the garden for. Entertaining? Children or grandchildren? Do you want to encourage wildlife?

Then ask around for an experienced gardener or garden designer to come for just one or two visits and make recommendations. Try horticultural societies and garden centres.

Find someone with horticultural qualifications or who has trained in a professional garden. This is not a job for a student as they are unlikely to have the experience. Expect to pay between £30 and £50 an hour.

You may want to write down their recommendations yourself, or ask for a written report, plant lists, plans, etc. Most garden appraisals take between three and ten hours, depending on how much work is involved. Sometimes you can ask the garden expert to source plants and plant them, or they can recommend someone else.