Thinking about garden maintenance in Exeter? a gardener can assess the space, cut back growth and improve overall presentation. Tell them the garden size, the tasks you want and any access limitations. The more detail you provide, the clearer the quote and timeline.
Planning a tidy up? Share garden details and request quotes from gardeners so you can compare like for like. Mention access limits and waste handling. Describe your job and get quotes to compare experience.
This checklist covers the main factors that affect scope and price.
Typical guide prices (ballpark):
Prices below are adjusted for the South West area, based on regional labour-cost data (ONS).
Costs can change with property size, access, condition and whether making good is needed.
Use this checklist when comparing and hiring for your job.
GARDENING ESSENTIALS
A quick guide to planning your project, understanding costs and choosing a good Gardener.
WORTH KNOWING
Turf gives an instant lawn but costs more and needs careful watering in the first few weeks to establish. Seeding is cheaper and can be tailored to shade/sun conditions but takes longer to establish and is more vulnerable to birds and weather early on. The right choice often depends on timing and budget as much as preference.
WORTH KNOWING
A water butt connected to guttering downpipes reduces mains water use for watering and can be plumbed into an irrigation system for larger gardens — a relatively low-cost addition worth considering during any broader landscaping or guttering work.
WORTH KNOWING
Some pest issues (slugs, aphids) are routine and manageable with regular maintenance; others (Japanese knotweed, certain invasive species) need specialist treatment and have legal disposal requirements. If you're unsure what you're dealing with, it's worth getting it identified before attempting treatment yourself.
USEFUL TO KNOW
New turf needs regular watering for several weeks to establish, and new planting similarly needs consistent care in its first season. Ask your gardener for specific aftercare guidance for what's been planted or laid, since needs vary a lot between plant types and hard landscaping materials.
SAFETY & COMPLIANCE
Outdoor lighting needs weatherproof (IP-rated) fittings and, for anything beyond simple solar lights, a qualified electrician for the wiring — this crosses into notifiable electrical work under Part P if it involves a new circuit. Worth planning cable routes during any hard landscaping work, not after paving is laid.
WORTH KNOWING
A routine maintenance visit is typically an hour or two depending on plot size. A patio or decking installation commonly takes 3-7 days depending on area and complexity. A full garden redesign including hard and soft landscaping can take several weeks, and is weather-dependent for the hard landscaping portion.
GETTING A QUOTE
A proper quote should specify materials by name/grade (not just "paving" or "decking"), whether waste removal and disposal is included, and an estimated timeline that accounts for weather-dependent work. Ongoing maintenance quotes should state visit frequency and exactly what's covered each visit.
HOW IT WORKS
A quote well below others for landscaping work is worth questioning — check it specifies the same material grade and includes proper groundwork/drainage preparation, not just the visible surface. No public liability insurance, cash-only payment, and pressure to decide immediately are all worth treating with caution.
LOCAL GUIDE
Exeter's cathedral and surviving sections of Roman and medieval city wall anchor a historic centre that predates most English towns by centuries. Georgian and Victorian terraces surround that historic core, with inter-war and post-war suburbs and newer development further out. Work near the cathedral quarter is more likely to involve older, protected fabric, while the surrounding twentieth-century suburbs are far more conventional to work on. Exeter's long history means the age gap between its oldest and newest buildings is unusually wide for a city of its size.
Garden work in Exeter reflects its mix of medieval, Georgian and modern suburbs: gardens near the historic core may be smaller, enclosed spaces requiring careful planting and sensitive paving, while suburban and newer developments offer larger plots that take more machinery and broader landscaping interventions. Tree work in conservation or protected areas needs careful checking for Tree Preservation Orders, particularly around older quarters where mature trees can be subject to protection.
Gardeners should be prepared to adapt planting and drainage strategies to a range of soil types and microclimates across the city, and to offer designs that respect historic settings where required. Larger suburban projects may involve turfing, patios and drainage solutions, while smaller terraces benefit from vertical planting, containers and compact hard landscaping. When hiring a gardener in Exeter, ask for examples of work in both confined historic gardens and larger suburban plots, confirmation they will check for any tree preservation or conservation rules, and a clear plan for machinery access and waste removal.
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