New Fantastic Gardeners Data Reveals the Real Garden Stress Trigger For Londoners
Hedge and bush pruning leads at 27.47% of gardening services — ahead of weeding (19.76%) — as tight access and waste removal make DIY harder in London.
London, UK, Feb. 24, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fantastic Gardeners, a professional gardening service provider in London, has unveiled a new report based on over 69,000 jobs completed in 2025. The data shows hedge and bush pruning was the most requested service at 27.47 percent, ahead of weeding at 19.76 percent and lawn mowing at 17.91 percent. The report highlights growing demand for professional help with labor-intensive tasks that involve limited access, specialist tools, and complex waste removal.
Close up of a Fantastic Services gardening expert hand trimming a hedge.
This pattern tells a very London story: the most outsourced tasks are the ones that feel risky, awkward, are on sensitive property boundaries and are hard to clear up — involving ladders, power tools, tight side access and bags of green waste that need removing. Add parking restrictions and limited vehicle access, especially in inner London, where even motivated gardeners can find themselves stuck with the hardest part: getting materials in and waste out.
Why London residents are hiring professional gardeners
- Hedge & bush pruning: 27.47%
- Weeding: 19.76%
- Lawn mowing & edging: 17.91%
- Leaf clearing: 14.59%
- Ivy trimming/removal: 7.70%
- Tree pruning: 5.49%
- Jet washing: 4.84%
- Weed prevention treatments: 2.23%
(Jan to Dec 2025, London)
London garden stress: it’s not just the job — it’s the logistics
London gardening stress isn’t only about effort; it’s about uncertainty and disposal.
- “Weed or flower?” anxiety is real. Research has found 51% of people throw away plants thinking they are weeds — and weeds return fast, turning a one-off tidy-up into a recurring battle.
- Green waste becomes the deal-breaker. Pruning, leaf clearing, ivy work and jet washing all create a mess that’s difficult to bag, store and remove when access is restricted and parking is limited.
- Tool-and-storage reality bites. Many London homes simply don’t have room for mowers, edging kit, ladders or power tools — pushing people to outsource the jobs that need specialist equipment.
The real villain isn’t weeding — it’s “the ladder jobs”
While weeding dominates the popular image of the “worst garden job”, Fantastic Gardeners’ London service mix suggests the tasks people most readily outsource are those involving height, awkward shaping, and piles of heavy cuttings.
Anything involving hedges and shrubs makes up over a quarter of all paid jobs — a strong signal that when a task needs ladders or power tools near sensitive property boundaries, many Londoners would rather pay an insured professional than risk injury, neighbour disputes, or accidental damage.
Clean-up and safety work is a major driver — especially for landlords
If you combine leaf clearing (14.59%) and jet washing (4.84%), just under one in five visits fall into “clean-up / safety” tasks — the jobs that become slippery, unsightly or complaint-generating if ignored.
For landlords and property managers, these services are often less about aesthetics and more about reducing slip risks on paths, steps and shared access routes, particularly in shaded gardens and courtyards that stay damp through autumn and winter.
Rune Sovndahl, CEO of Fantastic Gardeners, said, “Londoners don’t book our professional gardeners because they hate gardening — they outsource the jobs that are risky, awkward and impossible to clear up. That makes pruning London’s No.1 paid garden job because it needs ladders, and creates a pile of waste you can’t just leave on the pavement for the council. If you’ve got tight access, parking restrictions and neighbours on the other side of the fence, you want pruning done safely, and the waste taken away without hassle.”
Practical tips: how to make London gardening less stressful
- Stop guessing what’s a weed. If you’re unsure, leave it until you can identify it — pulling the wrong plant is a common (and costly) mistake.
- Treat pruning as a “cut + disposal” job. Don’t start until you know where the cuttings will go and how they’ll leave the property.
- Schedule clean-ups before they become hazards. Leaves, algae and slippery patios are easier (and cheaper) to handle early.
- Go small-and-regular on weeding. A 20-minute routine beats a weekend marathon — and reduces regrowth momentum.
- Landlords: prioritise access routes. Shared paths and steps drive the fastest complaints — and the biggest safety worries.
How Fantastic Gardeners helps London residents and landlords
Fantastic Gardeners supports London households and property owners with the high-effort, high-hassle tasks that are hardest to DIY in the capital — from hedge and shrub pruning to weeding, lawn care, seasonal clear-ups, ivy control and jet washing — with professional equipment, planned waste handling, and the option to book regular maintenance when needed. Visit: https://www.fantasticgardeners.co.uk/ to learn more.
Notes to editors
Percentages are based on 69,619 jobs completed by Fantastic Gardeners in London from January to December 2025.
FAQs
How much does a gardener cost in London?
For general garden maintenance and lawn care £83 for the first hour, and £60 per hour for subsequent hours, including the removal of a black bag of green waste. For tree surgery, a two person team starts from £99.
Do gardeners remove green waste?
Fantastic Gardeners are licensed and insured to remove waste and include waste removal in quotations.
When is the best time to prune hedges in the UK?
Drastic pruning for rejuvenation, February, just before new growth starts. For maintenance, late winter to early spring (February to March), allowing plants to recover outside of the main growing season, and to avoid disturbing nesting birds.
About Fantastic Gardeners
Fantastic Gardeners is part of Fantastic Services, a leading provider of domestic and commercial maintenance and cleaning services in the UK and Australia.
Offering over 100 services, from cleaning, removals, plumbing and gardening to locksmithing and pest control. The business focuses on professionalised, technology-enabled property services with a customer-first approach.
For further information or interviews with Rune Sovndahl, CEO, please contact: allan@binarypr.co.uk or +44(0)7956 583080
Close up of a Fantastic Services gardener using a petrol hedge trimmer.
Press Inquiries
Allan Edwards
allan@binarypr.co.uk
+44 (0)7956583080
https://www.fantasticgardeners.co.uk/
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