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-   -   Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden? (https://britishexpats.com/forum/usa-57/just-curious-do-you-use-landscaper-your-garden-724479/)

Squirrel Jul 11th 2011 1:37 pm

Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 
My in-laws have used one for a long time, not just for weeding and planting, cutting lawn etc but in winter to shovel the driveway. Is it more common in the US to use landscapers? Maybe because of the longer working hours or bigger gardens?

scrubbedexpat097 Jul 11th 2011 1:59 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 
No.

I like to do it myself. I take care of the flower beds, shrubs and fruit trees and M looks after the grass cutting and weed eating. We enjoy it!

S Folinsky Jul 11th 2011 2:31 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 

Originally Posted by Squirrel (Post 9488384)
My in-laws have used one for a long time, not just for weeding and planting, cutting lawn etc but in winter to shovel the driveway. Is it more common in the US to use landscapers? Maybe because of the longer working hours or bigger gardens?

Your caption and question do not match. It does not snow where we live. We did use a landscaper to to plan out our yards. But that is not a constant job.

Squirrel Jul 11th 2011 2:39 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 

Originally Posted by S Folinsky (Post 9488464)
Your caption and question do not match. It does not snow where we live. We did use a landscaper to to plan out our yards. But that is not a constant job.

Maybe it's not always so but ILs used to use the same guy for both mowing in summer and ploughing in winter.

fatbrit Jul 11th 2011 2:44 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 

Originally Posted by Squirrel (Post 9488384)
My in-laws have used one for a long time, not just for weeding and planting, cutting lawn etc but in winter to shovel the driveway. Is it more common in the US to use landscapers? Maybe because of the longer working hours or bigger gardens?

Didn't used to use anyone but currently using the guy across the street who lost his real job. Must say he does a far better job than we used to do.

avanutria Jul 11th 2011 2:44 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 
We don't use one, but a couple of families on our street seem to, and yesterday two new guys were cutting our next door neighbour's lawn which was a surprise as he usually does it himself (I thought).

Brat1 Jul 11th 2011 2:49 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 
I don't need to use one, my OH's a landscaper :D Our neighbours used one throughout the summer up until this year, then he decided to buy a mower big enough and does it himself, but a lot of our neighbours employ company's to do it, mainly because of the size of their properties. Think it's much more popular here than where I lived in Scotland.

Moxie Jul 11th 2011 3:02 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 

Originally Posted by Squirrel (Post 9488384)
My in-laws have used one for a long time, not just for weeding and planting, cutting lawn etc but in winter to shovel the driveway. Is it more common in the US to use landscapers? Maybe because of the longer working hours or bigger gardens?

Yes, weekly in warm weather when the grass grows so quickly. In winter it's about every 3 weeks. No snow here. It's a crew that mows, edges, pulls weeds, uses the Weedeater trimmer, and "sweeps" the walks and driveway with a blower. I do the planting and flower tending.

I've seen a big growth in landscaping services in the last 10 years in my area. Everybody used to do their own or pay a neighborhood boy to cut the lawn. It's probably 50/50 on my street doing your own or hiring a crew.

hobbes79 Jul 11th 2011 3:11 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 
Our yard is an acre, and without a ride-on mower we used to hire someone just to mow the lawn. Takes about 2-hrs after the weed wacking and he charged a relatively reasonable $50 a time, but that's still about $200/month making the investment into our own ride-on make sense. Had our own for 2 years now and do it all.

One of our reservations was the time required to mow it, but doing so is rather fun. So much so, my wife and I fight over who gets a turn! I like doing it on a Friday evening when it's cooler and means it looks nice and tidy for the weekend :)

SultanOfSwing Jul 11th 2011 3:22 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 
No, but I do work for one. Now, you'd think we'd get a free fertilizer or weed n feed or something but not a sausage. I'm not asking for a full planting package or brick retaining wall or anything but everone else seems to get freebies all the time, I know cause I do the billing . . .

For example, my predecessor got $30,000.00 of free work done, then got knocked up and never came back. She then sold the house shortly after :blink:.

Bob Jul 11th 2011 4:28 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 
Depends where you live.

It seems up in Maine, everyone has a ride on mower, no matter how small the place is.

Most rentals use a landscaper as it's a tax deductible.

Where we used to live, loads of folks used them, where we are at the moment, less common, except the massive places or the condos.

dinosaur Jul 11th 2011 6:40 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 

Originally Posted by hobbes79 (Post 9488527)
Our yard is an acre, and without a ride-on mower we used to hire someone just to mow the lawn. Takes about 2-hrs after the weed wacking and he charged a relatively reasonable $50 a time, but that's still about $200/month making the investment into our own ride-on make sense. Had our own for 2 years now and do it all.

Had a similar experience - it was useful for a couple of years to save time/become familiar with the environment, then bought our own - feels like we're now much more in touch with the yard (garden).

Same with snow in winter - had a few years of plow service, but then started to think about the cost..and given the ready supply of power equipment in the US it's pretty straightforward. After the amount of snow we had last year, the snowblower turned out to be a very worthwhile investment.

hobbes79 Jul 11th 2011 6:43 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 

Originally Posted by dinosaur (Post 9488947)
Same with snow in winter - had a few years of plow service, but then started to think about the cost..and given the ready supply of power equipment in the US it's pretty straightforward. After the amount of snow we had last year, the snowblower turned out to be a very worthwhile investment.

That's next on my list. Went with shovels over the winter... I think my back has only just recovered.

Leslie Jul 11th 2011 6:53 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 

Originally Posted by S Folinsky (Post 9488464)
Your caption and question do not match. It does not snow where we live. We did use a landscaper to to plan out our yards. But that is not a constant job.

FYI the Brits use the word "garden" as we would use the word "yard".

Brat1 Jul 11th 2011 8:19 pm

Re: Just curious - do you use a landscaper for your garden?
 

Originally Posted by hobbes79 (Post 9488958)
That's next on my list. Went with shovels over the winter... I think my back has only just recovered.

Ditto, if it wasn't for our neighbours kindness in blowing our drive, I think we'd still be snowed in. On my list for this years purchases :)


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