Average Gardener Cost: $500 to $1500
Hourly rates for basic lawn mowing and maintenance can range from $30 to $60, while more specialized tasks like planting or garden design can range from $50 to $70 per hour. More complex tasks like hardscaping can range from $50 to $100 per hour.
To make your garden healthier and look good, you may hire a professional gardener in Canada. Depending on whether or not you require someone to take-care of/tend to your flower beds, prune shrubs, complete re-design of your entire garden or just about anything it can and will differ rather drastically based upon the type of work required, how often they need to come down, and the general area size that they have to work upon/with. We will discuss all the specifics of gardening prices in Canada, including one-time calls to cleaning away mess to seasonal plans, and specialized offers.
So, let us penetrate deeper into what you are likely to pay and how you can plan your finances for quality gardening work.
The hourly rates of gardeners are some of the most popular ones. Across most Canadian provinces, expect to pay between $40 and $80 per hour for standard gardening services. This most often encompasses regular maintenance like weeding, hedging, deadheading, mulching, and simple keeping of the lawn edged.
Hourly rates may rise when the gardener arrives with specialised tools, when the work is very labour-intensive, or when you hire him/her in a high-demand city like Toronto or Vancouver. Lower rates might be nearer to the scale in the small towns or rural areas.
| Service | Description | Average Cost (CAD) |
|---|---|---|
| Lawn Mowing | Regular mowing, edging, and trimming | $30 – $80 per visit |
| Weeding and Mulching | Removing weeds and applying mulch to beds | $60 – $150 per visit |
| Garden Bed Maintenance | Planting, pruning, fertilizing, and clean-up | $100 – $250 per visit |
| Seasonal Planting | Installing annuals, perennials, or shrubs | $150 – $400 per project |
| Hedge Trimming & Pruning | Shaping hedges, shrubs, and small trees | $50 – $150 per hour |
| Soil Improvement & Fertilizing | Enhancing soil quality for healthy plant growth | $100 – $300 per treatment |
| General Gardening (Hourly) | Custom hourly work based on garden needs | $30 – $70 per hour |
Most gardeners provide maintenance packages when it comes to sustained support. For a small residential property, you may pay around $100 to $150 per visit for fortnightly upkeep during the growing season. Larger properties can cost $200 or more per visit.
On these regular check-ups, the work will include hedge cutting, weeding, avoiding lawn edges, and checking the plants' health. Others add in seasonal fertilising, or pest inspection too, particularly where you are operating with a horticulturist with more experience.
A garden cleanup is another common request, which can be done once in early spring or end of autumn. Such visits are normally more expensive than the routine maintenance since they require a lot of labour. Expect to pay between $250 and $600 for a standard cleanup of an average-sized garden.
There is usually a provision of:
The inclusion of the disposal of green waste will also increase the cost further. Other gardeners will tack on a fee to carry off clippings or debris, particularly in towns where annual yard waste collection is not so common.
The area of lawn care may be spelled out within the general gardening services or taken by a specialist. Basic grass cutting for a suburban front and back yard usually starts around $40 to $60 per visit. For larger or more complex lawns, this could rise to $100 or more.
Full-service lawn care that includes aeration, fertilisation, weed control, and reseeding can cost between $200 and $400 per season, depending on your location and lawn size. This price can be hiked by adding a dethatching service or grub control.
Most gardeners are willing to plant it, particularly in spring. This may involve planting annuals, bulbs, and shrubs, or even planting small trees. Basic flowerbed planting might cost between $100 and $300, depending on the number of plants and the complexity of the layout.
For larger planting jobs or redesigns, expect to pay $500 or more. Such projects usually need some site preparation, soil preparation, mulching, and maintenance visits to help the plants get established.
In case you need information about what plants will suit your type of soil or climatic region, assistance from an expert gardener or a landscape designer may be required. Their consultation fees could range from $75 to $150 per hour.
Hedge trimming and pruning are commonly charged depending on the scale and quantity of shrubs or trees to be dealt with. For basic shrub trimming, expect to pay around $60 to $150 for a typical front garden.
Larger hedges or topiary work may cost $200 to $500, particularly if ladders or power tools are needed. Tree pruning that involves climbing or heavy-duty gear may push the cost over $1,000, especially if the tree is large or near power lines. Such incidents may require you to employ the services of an arborist as opposed to a general gardener.
The alternative is that you are environmentally conscious, so you can find gardeners in Canada who specialise in organic or sustainable gardens. Such services usually entail the incorporation of compost-based fertilisers, companion planting, and organic methods of pest repellents.
It is standard that these kinds of services cost 10 to 30 percent more than normal gardening services, with another premium likely to be assessed in case the gardener uses organic products or heirloom plant varieties.
Some clients prefer food gardens or pollinator-friendly planting options, which have to be bespoke and are ongoing. These eco-conscious projects can range from $500 to over $5,000, depending on size and complexity.
To the homeowner who wants more than merely keeping a garden trim, a professional garden designer or horticulturist can work out the planning of the garden layout, choose the plants, and work out a bloom program, possibly with seasonal emphasis. A typical design consultation can cost between $150 and $500, depending on the designer’s experience and the depth of the plan.
Medium to large garden packages can cost thousands of dollars, and if a comprehensive site survey and 3D renderer are required, the cost will be even higher. Nevertheless, a good design will enhance the value of your property and reduce long-term maintenance expenses.
Have a quick garden to revamp before a sale of a home or before a party? You should be ready to add a rush fee. Other gardeners might have express services at 25 to 50 percent more than their usual rates, especially in high seasons such as late spring.
Because these jobs disrupt their regular scheduling, you might also be required to pay a deposit or prepay a minimum amount (often $300 or more).
Even though labour makes up the largest part of the gardening costs, you can also be charged for materials, including but not limited to:
Gardeners can either add them to their quote or make a separate charge. On average, expect to spend an extra $50 to $200 on materials for each project or maintenance cycle, depending on what’s being done.
Most gardening services provide other services to be added to your total price. Examples of these may be:
Each of these add-ons may cost between $50 and $300, depending on complexity. Make sure you specify what is covered in your quote and do not have any shocks.
The garden rates in Canada are highly dependent on the province and even cities. As an example, in urban areas such as Vancouver, Ontario, and Toronto, the prices tend toward the higher end due to demand and increased labour costs. The rates are cheaper in rural Alberta or the Maritimes.
Most gardeners also often ask to pay for the travel time when a customer is not within the area they regularly service. A call-out fee of $25 to $50 is not unusual for clients living in remote or hard-to-reach locations.
You can have seasonal packages provided by most gardening services to make your outside areas a lively one all year round. These can be spring clean-ups, summer servicing, leaf clearing in autumn, and winter prep.
A full seasonal package for a standard residential garden might cost between $800 and $2,000 annually, depending on the frequency of visits and the extent of services provided.
Some of the most common items covered by this kind of arrangement include:
Other gardeners can provide incentives of seasonal packages when paid in advance, or clients who join the gardeners for annual services.
One should draw a line between general gardening and landscaping. You need a special quote that is based on materials, machinery, and design services to understand the cost. Here is a detailed comparison:
| Aspect | Landscaping | Gardening |
|---|---|---|
| Primary Focus | Design, construction, hardscaping, and transformation | Plant care, maintenance, and seasonal upkeep |
| Typical Services | Patio & walkway installation, grading, sod laying | Lawn mowing, weeding, pruning, planting |
| Project Scope | Large-scale, often one-time or seasonal | Ongoing, smaller tasks are done regularly |
| Average Hourly Rate | $50 – $120 per hour | $30 – $70 per hour |
| Small Project Cost | $1,500 – $5,000+ | $100 – $500 |
| Large Project Cost | $10,000 – $50,000+ | N/A (gardening typically doesn't include construction) |
| Design Involvement | High – may involve landscape architects or blueprints | Low – usually doesn’t involve formal design |
| Equipment & Materials | Heavy machinery, stone, wood, lighting, etc. | Hand tools, soil, mulch, fertilizer |
People might think that at first instigation having a gardener can be a costly affair. However, it is a convenient investment for most homeowners, particularly for people who own big gardens, have limited time on their hands, or have mobility problems.
A small DIY garden maintenance setup (basic tools, gloves, fertilizer, mulch) might cost $200 to $400 per year. This, however, does not calculate the time spent in learning, physical effort, and errors that may prove highly costly in the long run.
The number of hours a professional gardener would take to finish the job that a DIYer can take most of a weekend. They would also know how to take care of the plants and when they need them, and your garden will not be a guess.
| Factor | Hiring a Gardener | DIY Gardening |
|---|---|---|
| Hourly Cost | $30 – $70 | $0 (your time) – but effort = 100% |
| Tools & Equipment | Included in service fees | $100 – $500+ upfront for tools (shovel, mower, etc.) |
| Plants & Materials | Marked-up or bundled in service | Buy your own – $50 to $300 per season |
| Time Investment | Very low – hands-free care | The complete work time |
| Skill Level Needed | None – they’re pros | Moderate to high – trial and (lots of) error |
| Risk of Mistakes | Low – experienced handling | High overwatering, poor soil choice, and dead plants |
| Customization | Moderate – depends on communication | Full control over design and plant choices |
| Satisfaction Level | High results guaranteed | Super high (if you get it right), or heartbreak |
| Long-Term Cost | $1,200 – $3,000+ per year for regular care | Lower yearly cost, higher upfront + effort |
In case you are not wealthy and yet you want to use professional assistance, there are a couple of strategies to minimize the price:
Services such as lawn mowing, planting, pruning, and general clean-ups are just some of the operations which have price specifications of their own, whereas other activities such as organic care or garden designing will be extra to the total.
Through knowledge of what determines how much gardening costs, it is in your best interest to be able to compare quotes with the ability to make a decision that goes in line with your budget and gardening objectives. No matter whether you just need basic maintenance or a garden transformation, the money that you invest in professional gardening solutions will improve the value of your property and the fun you have when living outdoors.
Costs of various services and materials in this cost guide should be taken as estimates. These depend on location, preference and demands in the market.
