The difference between a landscaper and a gardener is something that can cause some confusion. We’re often tagged in Facebook posts where someone is asking for a landscaper but they need their grass cut or their shrubs pruning. Likewise, we see people asking for a gardening service when, in fact, they need someone to install a patio or erect a new fence.
Differences between landscapers and gardeners seem obvious to those of us ‘in the trade.’ But it’s easy to see why these two professions are sometimes misunderstood. Both will help you to enhance your outdoor space which could, in turn, increase the value of your property. In this blog, we’ll have a look at how a landscaper or a gardener might help you. “What is the difference between a landscaper and a gardener?” Let’s find out.
Is there a difference between a landscaper and a gardener?
Yes. But we won’t hold it against you if you’re not sure which person does what.
A landscaper can help if you want to change the structure or design of your garden. They should be well-equipped from their experience. Having knowledge of land drainage. Correct depths and falls they should work to for each different material. The best material for sub-bases. The right way to build a retaining wall, and that kind of thing. A landscaper may also provide you with a design for your new garden but, they may also work alongside a landscape designer for this. In a nutshell, professional landscapers are the go-to people for paths, patios, decking, fencing or even adding tiers to your garden.
A professional gardener will look after, or maintain, your garden, providing plant and lawn care. They’ll add new plants and keep up with the established ones. Weeding a flower bed, planting trees, cutting and feeding the grass, pruning trees and shrubs. These are all very important garden maintenance jobs that ensure your garden looks lovely all year round. Your garden is an investment, that will add value to your home. If you don’t enjoy gardening or have green fingers yourself, employing the services of a gardener is a great way to ensure that your money isn’t wasted.
Hard landscaping vs soft landscaping?
Just to confuse things more, the services of a landscape contractor are split into hard landscaping and soft landscaping.
- Hard landscaping is just as it sounds. A hard landscaper will help with the landscape construction of rockeries, pathways, patios, a pond, summer houses, decking, etc using ‘hard’ materials.
- Soft landscaping covers the installation of plants, shrubs, trees, and other, more natural parts of your garden, the ‘soft’ materials.
At Kettlewell Groundworks, we would construct a rockery or a raised bed for example but, we would leave the planting to you or your gardener as that’s not our area of expertise right now. Likewise, I would expect that your gardener may not want to take on the construction of said raised bed!
The hard landscape element of your garden will, in turn, provide a good base for the soft landscaping.
“What is the difference between a Landscaper and a Gardener?” You could also ask whether you need a hard or a soft landscaper.
Should a landscaper know about plants?
Most professional landscapers will have some planting or shrub knowledge that they’ve learned through their years of working in gardens. Nobody can spend that much time outdoors and know nothing about plants, right? Having the right amount of space for growth, dealing with any drainage issues, and the most suitable types of soil are likely to be more their area of plant expertise. But it will vary from one person to another. Some may be plant geniuses.
Don’t be put off if a landscaper doesn’t have lots of plant knowledge. If it’s more in-depth knowledge you’re looking for, then it’s a gardener that you’ll need.
If you’re already in talks with a professional landscaper, you’ll be having more structural work done in your garden. That’s where they need to have the right answers to your questions.
What’s included in the cost of landscaping?
If you’re making a call to a landscaper, it’s either because you can’t do the work yourself or you don’t want to do the work yourself. Let’s be honest, most landscaping work involves a lot of heavy lifting and carrying! Either way, many factors make your landscaper worth their money. You have a vision in mind for your outdoor area, but you’re unsure if it is actually possible and how to make it happen.
Right from the off, a good landscaper will listen to your ideas and advise on the best way forward. They’ll take some measurements, possibly some photos, and then provide a quote based on the work involved. Your quote will take into account ground conditions, access to the work area for getting things both on and off-site, storage space available for materials that are delivered, and the amount of excavation needed. The list goes on.
When you hire a landscaper, you’re paying for their years of experience. The skills they’ve learned and trained for. Knowledge of ground conditions, preparation of the correct sub-base, knowing what tools they need and how to use them safely, and how to install materials the right way.
These are just some of the many variables of what the price will cover and they will differ with each landscaping service.
As a general rule, most quotes will include labour, material, and waste disposal costs. Things like insurance, staff, fuel, machinery, location, licenses, and permits will all be within the price but these are overheads and will differ from one person to the next. Reputable landscapers will source the best quality materials from suppliers they have built up good relationships with. Their business is at stake, so it’s in their interests to use products they trust.
When you’d like a full garden design, a professional garden designer, or landscape architect, may need to be involved. Their services will incur a separate cost. Or maybe you’d like a fully itemised quote for example. There will likely be an additional cost for this too. The simple reason is that it takes time. Every landscaper we know prices work differently but, as they are doing it all the time, they’ll know most of the costs involved in different areas of their work which makes a standard quote with a brief outline of the work fairly simple to put together. A detailed quote or landscape design can take hours to produce which would need paying for and rightly so.
How can Kettlewell Groundworks help with landscaping my garden?
“What is the difference between a landscaper and a gardener?” We hope we’ve helped to answer this but if you’re still unsure or have any questions about how Kettlewell Groundworks can help, please feel free to give us a call on 01274 981995 and we can have a chat about your garden or driveway.
We have over 25 years of industry experience and have been providing landscaping and groundwork services in Bradford, Halifax, and the surrounding areas for nearly 5 years. We’re a friendly bunch who’ll happily visit you with our many product samples. You can see them in your garden before deciding what’s right for you. If we don’t have that ‘something’ you had in mind, we’ll do our best to find it for you. Check out our Instagram feed for some inspiration!
If you need a little help with deciding how to choose the right landscaper, download our new guide here! We’ve also written a blog on this very subject! Read more here.
Already know exactly what you want and you are ready to book a quote? It’s really easy to book an appointment with us here. Simply fill out the quick form in as much detail as you can and we’ll see you soon!
