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Finding a gardener in the Eastbourne area 🌱🌼🐝🦔 ?

FireFire Posts: 19,096
edited March 2022 in Problem solving
I have an elderly friend in Eastbourne who is a widower and passionate gardener with a large garden planted by his beloved, deceased wife. He is no longer very mobile and would love a very trustworthy, skilled, organic gardener to look after the plot weekly. He has had a string of cowboys who have massacred his garden, digging up bulbs, spraying weed killer everywhere willy nilly and wrecking his hedges. They are bullies from companies who basically send untrained bods armed with power tools to cut the grass and the hedging - hack and whack. This is not at all what he wants or needs.

The person for the plot needs to know their flora and how take out the right "weeds", how to tend and care for plants, not just cut them up and kill them without a thought. The garden had great sentimental value for the couple and for my friend towards the end of life.

Does anyone have good contacts in the Eastbourne area to follow up? It's breaking my friend's heart to see the land becoming overgrown and to have been damaged by careless grifters. A caring, talented tender would be a gift.

Thanks


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  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    I have an elderly friend in Eastbourne who is a widower and passionate gardener with a large garden planted by his beloved, deceased wife. He is no longer very mobile and would love a very trustworthy, skilled, organic gardener to look after the plot weekly. He has had a string of cowboys who have massacred his garden, digging up bulbs, spraying weed killer everywhere willy nilly and wrecking his hedges. They are bullies from companies who basically send untrained bods armed with power tools to cut the grass and the hedging - hack and whack. This is not at all what he wants or needs.

    The person for the plot needs to know their flora and how take out the right "weeds", how to tend and care for plants, not just cut them up and kill them without a thought. The garden had great sentimental value for the couple and for my friend towards the end of life.

    Does anyone have good contacts in the Eastbourne area to follow up? It's breaking my friend's heart to see the land becoming overgrown and to have been damaged by careless grifters. A caring, talented tender would be a gift.

    Thanks


  • nick615nick615 Posts: 1,487
    I rather imagine  https://eastbournesociety.co.uk/  might have a 'right sort' of contact to solve the problem. 
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Not sure if the distance would be too far, but it may be worth getting in touch to see what they say, or if they can recommend someone closer.
    https://theladygardener.co.uk/

  • FireFire Posts: 19,096
    AnniD said:
    Not sure if the distance would be too far, but it may be worth getting in touch to see what they say, or if they can recommend someone closer.
    https://theladygardener.co.uk/


    Thanks both. @AnniD Do you know the  company?
  • chickychicky Posts: 10,410
    I would contact local horticulture colleges (Plumpton is quite near there).  They can alert their past and current students taking the RHS qualifications.

    At Merrist Wood and Sparsholt we regularly had detailed job specs circulated.
  • Nanny BeachNanny Beach Posts: 8,719
    As you know,we live in a village just outside Eastbourne, various elderly "neighbours" not immediate neighbours tell me they pay £70 just to have a lawn cut. Walking the dogs,we see various vans, trucks,folk cutting grass. If its possible, I will try to enquire from folk,what their gardeners do in fact do and if they are knowledgeable. I will also ask the councillor I work for if he can suggest anything or anyone. Brighton and Plumpton are about the same distance,you might find they are happy to come here. The Lady Gardener does say east and west Sussex.
  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    Not from personal experience @Fire, but l remember reading an article about them a while back, it may have been something to do with their work at Chelsea, but l'm not sure. I will see if l can find it. In the meantime, l have found some reviews of their work, and it also Includes a link to their Instagram page. 

    https://www.checkatrade.com/trades/TheLadyGardener

    At the risk of sounding sexist, l would be quite inclined to put my trust in a group of lady gardeners.
  • Allotment BoyAllotment Boy Posts: 6,774
    I agree with  @chicky try the local colleges,  we often get the same enquiries at Capel Manor.  
    It's a shame but gardening is generally an under valued skill,  and the mow and blow brigade (as the senior at Capel calls them) do exactly as you say, to get round as many sites as they can in a day. 
    AB Still learning

  • AnniDAnniD Posts: 12,585
    We have a couple of the "Mow and blow" brigade (great description) around here @Allotment Boy. It breaks my heart watching the  work.
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @Fire Having worked as a gardener I could have worked 24hour shifts at times. I have even been asked to come out of retirement. If you do find a really good gardener treat them well, allow them to be flexible due to weather, ask them if they would like a drink. Not a large glass of sherry  as happened to me once. Good gardeners can pick and choose where they work. It is a profession that is skilled but underpaid. I was lucky enough to work in lots of different gardens including three NGS  it was an opportunity to learn. Also I rarely bought a plant as most garden owners are generous.
    A good gardener would much prefer to work in a garden that has been loved in the past and I hope this thought helps in your search. 
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
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