“Every garden contains the ability to be beautiful. It just takes the right Tasker to bring each garden to its potential.” Green thumbs up to Tasker Michael M.!
Garden Work is a popular task category both in the warmer months as clients prepare to take advantage of summer days and in the winter months as clients seek for their gardens to be leaf and frost-free.
What does the category include? Check out a few of the most frequent search terms below.
Tips for your Garden Work Skills & Experience description
Your Skills & Experience description should be specific about your skills in Garden Work but also represent your personality to the client. See a few examples from Taskers below for great Skills & Experience descriptions for Garden Work, and check out this blog article for even more inspiration.
“I have 6 years of professional experience as a gardener. A passion for gardens and garden design from a very young age. I have my own petrol mowers, trimmers, hedge trimmer and a chainsaw to tackle all of your garden needs.” – London, UK Tasker
“I’m handy with a shovel, gardening equipment and clippers. I’m strong enough to handle heavy lifting, easy to communicate with and I have experience ‘in the field.’ Be sure to tell me if there’s any special equipment to bring.” – Chicago Tasker
“I’ve been doing construction, landscaping, and labour for the past 16 years and I am no stranger to hard work! I take ownership and pride in everything I do. I grew up on a farm and have been doing garden work since I could pick up a rake or shovel.” – Phoenix Tasker
Suggested tools for Garden Work
Taskers suggest these basic tools:
- Rake
- Shovel
- Broom
- Spade
- Kneeling mat/knee pads
- Gloves
- Ladder
- Hand clippers
- Hedge clippers
- Green waste paper bags
- Face mask (to protect from dust and pollen)
- Weed killer applicator
- Your smartphone to identify plants and weeds with which you may be unfamiliar!
Taskers differ in their opinions on whether to have your own lawn mower, chain saw, hedge trimmers, power washer and other large equipment. Some clients may have their own, so make sure to clarify while scoping the task. Taskrabbit now has a separate Power Washing skill for any Taskers who specialise in that! You may be able to rent equipment from hardware stores or equipment rental businesses.
Sample scoping questions to ask in the chat thread
You may have seen the blog article on Sample scoping questions to ask before any task. If you missed it, check out the questions below. Clients hiring for Garden Work tasks often provide details upfront. But if you do have questions after reading a task description, here are some that will help you scope any Garden Work task so you can show up prepared to tackle it with ease.
- Is the work that you need to be done in the front garden, back garden, both, or another location?
- What is the size of the area (for the lawn to be mowed, weeds to be pulled, seeds to be planted, etc.)?
- How short would you like the grass to be cut? Do you have a lawn mower, or should I bring one?
- What tools/equipment do you have and what might you need me to bring?
- Will you be home during the task so you can specify how you want (the hedges trimmed, the flowers planted, etc.)? If not, can you provide a photo or an example?
- How tall is the tree that you need to be trimmed?
- Will I be working with any chemicals?
- Will you need me to remove any garden waste and will you be providing the rubbish/compost bags if so?
- If the task is in the later hours of the day/evening: Will the garden/patio be lit?
Top tips for acing Garden Work tasks
- Communicate. “The night before my scheduled task, I check in with my client to see what their current needs are; usually it’s to spread fresh mulch, add fertiliser and apply an odour control spray (for those with big dogs).” – Michael M., SF Bay Area Tasker
- Get feedback. “I check in with the client once I’ve got started to get input on how it’s going. If the client can’t be that present I take before, during and after photos. At the end, I ask the client to point out anything they’d like me to do before I go.” – Cyd M., Portland Tasker
- Do your research. “If you don’t know how to do a certain task, YouTube University is always a great start.” – Ray J., Washington, DC Tasker
Taskers’ favourite Garden Work moments
“Horticulture has always been a great interest of mine. It’s something that you never stop learning about. Knowing what each plant’s needs help ensure success.” – Justen T., SF Bay Area
“I love flower bed designs and grass cutting. They allow me to be free with my thoughts and enjoy my day with nature.” – Ray J., Washington, DC
“My longest-standing Garden Work client is a business. I work at 5 of their 10 commercial properties regularly, my favourite site being a cemetery. It’s an honour to care for the resting places of those who came before me. It’s a serene place to work, the history is interesting and the work is fulfilling.” – Jeff W., Dallas/Ft. Worth
“My favorite Garden Work task was when I was hired to create a vision for a client’s garden. I brought over a camp chair and table, some beverages and my laptop, and plotted out their current garden setup using Google Draw. The client was able to click and drag each object that I drew to move it where they wanted in the garden.” – Cyd M., Portland, OR
Despite having different specialties, these Taskers are all great at Garden Work tasks. One tip they all agree on? Customer service and communication with your client are key.
Michael M. gave a great opening line and a great closing one, too: “Get out in the sun and make some gardens shine!”
Thanks again to Ray J., Michael M., Harold M., Cyd M., Brad K., Justen T., Reza T., Jeff W., and many others for sharing your Garden Work experience.
