The Best Gardening Services

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Having a beautiful outdoor space is not just for looks—studies have shown that plants can provide big health benefits, too. Whether it’s a lush green lawn or flower beds fit for a queen, having a garden to be proud of will make the outdoors a greater part of anyone’s life.

But what happens when all those plants start to get overwhelming? Even the most seasoned home gardeners need help with regular maintenance now and then, and sometimes tricky problems like pests or diseases can prove too much for DIY remedies. That’s when the pros can step in. Keep that gorgeous garden growing strong with a little help from one of the best gardening services. Check out this list before searching online for “best gardeners near me.”

BEST OVERALL: Lawn Love
RUNNER-UP: The Grounds Guys
BEST FOR BUSINESSES: Mainscape
ALSO CONSIDER: Angi

What to Consider When Choosing One of the Best Gardening Services

Before hiring a garden maintenance company, there are several factors to consider, including the service area, scheduling, pricing, and the types of services offered. Keep these points in mind when searching for landscaping and gardening services.

Service Area and Scheduling

Along with the landscaping list of services offered, customers will want to be sure that the garden service they are considering can travel to their address. Even companies with a nationwide presence may not have a branch conveniently located near the customer’s property. Before engaging any garden maintenance company, discovering their specific service area is in any customer’s best interest. Most gardening companies’ websites will have a ZIP code search function, or customers can reach out to a local branch by phone or email.

Many gardening services allow for advance scheduling via phone or email. For routine garden maintenance, it’s typical to have a seasonal set schedule. This not only helps customers know when to expect the service and subsequent billing, but it also ensures that plants are cared for consistently. The size of the yard and the variety of plants on the property will affect how often and for how long each visit will be.

Quote Process and Pricing

Gardening services can range from a few hundred dollars to potentially thousands, depending on the extent of the services needed, so customers will want to know up-front costs. While some companies offer quotes online before an appointment, the most accurate quotes come after an on-site visit. Most gardening services offer seasonal cleanup and regular visits for lawn maintenance and ongoing shrub and tree care. Depending on the company, it may charge customers by the hour or a flat rate for single, weekly, biweekly, or monthly visits.

Licensing and Certification

There is no specific educational requirement to become a professional gardener. Many experienced gardeners have spent years working in a horticultural field and have gained first-hand knowledge. Some gardeners do study and receive degrees or certificates in horticulture or botany. Many companies have employees with a master gardener certification, which is a respected continuing education certification offered by various schools nationwide.

In some states, gardeners are allowed to operate under a business license only. These gardeners may offer lower rates, but there are no assurances for the homeowner that the work will be done properly by employees who are skilled or certified.

Insurance

A high-quality gardening service will be bonded and insured. A liability insurance policy will protect the company, its employees, the customer, and the customer’s property in case of accident or injury. Being bonded means the company has a line of credit in place to cover the cost of work if it cannot perform the work itself.

Guarantee

Guarantees are important because customers want to know that a company stands by its work. Every gardening service will have different criteria for its guarantee. For example, a company may stipulate that any complaint from the customer be filed within a 24-hour window after service, while another company may give the customer up to 2 weeks.

In general, “satisfaction guaranteed” means that the company will return to fix any problems or rectify issues at no additional cost to the customer, or the company will offer a refund. All satisfaction guarantees are offered at any gardening service company’s discretion.

Additional Services

Most gardening services include plant care, shrub care, some tree care, and basic pest control on their lawn-care services list because many customers prefer a service that can perform multiple tasks in one visit. In addition, some gardeners also offer off-season services in the winter, such as snow and ice removal, allowing customers to engage one company for all of their outdoor yard maintenance.

Suppose a customer is hiring for a specific type of service, such as pest control or planting a vegetable garden. In that case, they may prefer a garden service with an experienced, dedicated horticulturist. On the other hand, customers who have low-maintenance plants but an expansive lawn may prefer to choose one of the best lawn-care services that also offers gardening services. A licensed arborist should perform large tree care and tree removal services, so a tree care service would be best for these needs.

Our Top Picks

In nearly every town you’ll find residential and commercial gardening companies, but customers want to find a company that can deliver quality work. Instead of searching for “gardening companies near me,” check out the top picks for the best lawn and garden services.

Best Overall

Lawn Love

Service area: 40 states and Washington, D.C.
Scheduling: Online
Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee within 24 hours
Additional services: Mowing, fertilization, aeration, weed control, yard cleanup, tree and shrub care

Pros

All service professionals are certified to be bonded and insured
Convenient, streamlined online booking and payment platform
Transparent pricing guide
Customers can save up to 30 percent by bundling services

Cons

Instant quote claim is somewhat misleading

Why It Made the Cut: Lawn Love provides a simple booking process, offers a transparent pricing guide, and guarantees its professionals are bonded and insured. Lawn Love is a site that will source vetted, local gardening services. These services include tree and shrub care, weeding, green waste disposal, and lawn-care services. Customers can also book seasonal services through its site, such as gutter cleaning and leaf cleanup. Lawn Love offers up to a 30 percent discount for customers who bundle services. Lawn Love’s booking process takes place online and delivers quotes back to the customers. While the site says it provides an instant quote, customers actually input information and wait for companies to respond directly back with quotes. This means customers may get a faster quote by calling the company directly rather than waiting for a Lawn Love representative to respond. All of Lawn Love’s professionals are certified to be bonded and insured so customers can have extra peace of mind. In addition, Lawn Love’s smooth, streamlined booking process takes place online, and there is a transparent pricing guide available on the site so customers know that pricing is consistent.

Runner-Up

The Grounds Guys

Service area: 46 states and Washington, D.C.
Scheduling: Online, phone
Guarantee: Satisfaction guarantee within 14 days
Additional services: Mowing, pest control, fertilization, snow management, irrigation, gutters, tree and shrub care

Pros

Yard status and quality reports delivered to clients
Wide range of lawn and yard-care services available
Relatively long guarantee period of 14 days after service is performed

Cons

No online account management or bill payment option

Why It Made the Cut: The Grounds Guys offers a wide array of commercial and residential gardening services with near-nationwide availability. Available in 46 states and Washington, D.C., The Grounds Guys offers regular garden maintenance services from deadheading flowers and edging beds to invasive weed control, mulching, compact soil prevention, and more. The Grounds Guys provides a full range of additional outdoor landscaping services, including hardscaping, irrigation systems, lawn mowing, fertilization, sod installation, and reseeding. The company also offers seasonal services such as snow and ice management, gutter cleaning, and holiday light installation. Although the company does not currently offer online bill pay or account management, customers can conveniently schedule services via phone or email. The company provides yard status and quality reports after each visit, and it offers a 2-week satisfaction guarantee after the date of service.

Best for Businesses

Mainscape

Service area: 14 states
Scheduling: Online, phone
Guarantee: Not specified
Additional services: Landscaping, water management, agronomy

Pros

Services available for wide variety of commercial markets
Scientific agronomic programs boost landscape beauty and health

Cons

Guarantee information not readily available on website

Why It Made the Cut: Mainscape offers cutting-edge, science-backed gardening services for commercial properties. Available in 14 states, Mainscape offers gardening, landscaping, and water management services for various commercial markets, from homeowners associations to military bases. Mainscape distinguishes itself from the competition with what are known as science-based, proactive agronomic programs. This means the company performs its own extensive scientific testing, experimentation, and research in areas like plant nutrition and pest control to make sure that its solutions are the most effective with the least amount of environmental impact. The company boasts both managers and technicians with horticulture, irrigation, and lawn-care certifications, but customers will want to call the company directly to discuss the satisfaction guarantees offered. Scheduling and account management, including bill pay, can be done conveniently online or by phone.

Also Consider

Angi

Service area: 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Scheduling: Online
Guarantee: Varies by provider
Additional services: Varies by provider

Customers can filter by project and choose from local professionals
Customers can obtain quotes or bids within minutes
Streamlined and user-friendly website and app
Comprehensive resource center organized by project type

Name, phone number, and email are required to browse local services
Persistent follow-up emails and calls

Why It Made the Cut: Angi provides access to local, vetted gardeners in every state and Washington, D.C., through a user-friendly online platform. Customers can search Angi by location to find the best gardening services nearest to them. Although customers will need to enter their name, phone number, and email to browse local services, once they do so, they will gain access at no cost to providers in every state and Washington, D.C. Customers can receive quotes from vetted professionals to get the best price on services. The website is streamlined and easy to use, making it easy to find the right gardener for the job.

Our Verdict

For near-nationwide availability and the wide range of services from bonded, insured professionals, Lawn Love is our top choice. The Grounds Guys is a solid runner-up, thanks to the extensive year-round services for both residential and commercial properties.

How We Chose the Best Gardening Services

To determine the best gardening services, we researched dozens of companies across the U.S., focusing on companies with a multi-state presence. The final list evaluates relevant factors for each garden maintenance company, including services offered, scheduling, pricing, account management, and satisfaction guarantees. Each of the finalists delivers a much-needed service to customers across the country with unique selling points.

Before You Hire One of the Best Gardening Services

To find the best gardening service, customers need to know what they will require, both immediate and long-term, and what to expect from different companies. Customers may need regular, ongoing services with general gardening, such as shrub and tree pruning and flower bed maintenance. With a low-maintenance yard in place, homeowners may only require seasonal help.

Customers who require an entire landscape design plan and installation should seek out one of the best landscaping companies to find a landscape contractor or architect. If the primary need for landscaping is lawn care, it may be in the customer’s best interest to hire a lawn-care service that can also do light garden maintenance. If a property has larger trees that need regular upkeep, including trimming or removal, they may prefer to hire a certified arborist.

Cost of Hiring One of the Best Gardening Services

Gardening services can charge as little as $25 per hour to as much as $80 per hour, depending on the type of professional you’ve engaged and how many laborers are working at once. Most gardening services have a 2-hour minimum, even at the low end of the cost range. On average, garden maintenance will cost $100, ranging between $60 and $200 per visit. Geographic location and services required, including whether or not special equipment is needed, will factor into the price.

Some gardening services will charge a flat rate for services, whether those are regular appointments or a one-time cleanup. This price should be provided to the customer up front. Other services charge by the hour, and the cost per job goes up depending on the amount of labor required. Typically, labor makes up 80 percent of garden and landscaping costs.

The Advantages of Using One of the Best Gardening Services

Having a beautiful garden is something many property owners dream of, but maintaining a garden isn’t always a simple task. While hiring a cheap gardener may be tempting, a customer who invests in professional landscaping will find it boosts their curb appeal. However, this won’t be a cost-effective investment if there’s no regular upkeep.

Whether it’s someone to help you with seasonal garden tasks or you need biweekly maintenance, hiring a skilled gardener will keep your greens green and your flowers blooming. Though many homeowners are capable and enjoy some garden tasks themselves, here are a few reasons customers hire a professional gardening service.

Protects your investment in landscaping materials by keeping them alive.
Ensures an attractive, lush yard.
Stops pests before they become a problem.
Saves homeowners time, allowing them to enjoy the landscaping instead of stressing over maintaining it.
Boosts curb appeal.

FAQs

Every home will have different gardening needs, but there are some common questions that many customers have when googling “garden maintenance services near me.”

Q. How do I find a reputable gardener?

One of the fastest ways to find a reputable gardener is to ask friends and neighbors for recommendations. Online searches and reviews are also a good way to compare services.

Q. What services can a gardener offer?

A gardener can offer an array of services that include weed removal and prevention; lawn care; hedge trimming; tree pruning; pest and disease control; planting shrubs, trees, and flowers; mulching and edging flower beds; seasonal cleanup of lawn and garden beds; winterizing a garden; installing irrigation; fertilizing; and yard waste removal. Some gardeners also offer seasonal services such as ice removal and installing yard decorations.

Q. What is the difference between a gardener and a horticulturist?

While horticulturists certainly can be gardeners, technically speaking, horticulturists are the producers and providers of plants. Horticulturists stay up to date on plant practices, technology, and sustainability. Many gardeners have a background or certification in horticulture.