Organizing professional gardening work effectively
A garden is a place to relax—but only if it is properly cared for and maintained. Lawns, flower beds, hedges, trees, and paths require regular attention, otherwise your green retreat will quickly become a time-consuming project. Especially with larger gardens, older plants, or challenging properties, it quickly becomes apparent that professional support can be useful—whether for individual jobs or for ongoing maintenance throughout the year.
This guide will help you plan your gardening work realistically. You will learn what services are typically required, what costs you can expect in Switzerland, and what you should look out for when hiring a gardener or landscaping company. This will help you avoid making the wrong decisions and keep your expenses and budget under control.
What tasks are involved in garden maintenance?
Gardening involves much more than just mowing the lawn regularly. Depending on the size, use, and season, a wide variety of tasks arise—from ongoing maintenance to structural or design measures. Typical areas of activity include:
- Design, planning, and redesign of gardens (e.g., flower beds, paths, seating areas)
- Ongoing maintenance such as lawn care, flower bed maintenance, hedge and shrub trimming, cleaning paths, and leaf removal
- Professional tree care including crown pruning, thinning, and safety checks
- Removal of weeds and control of invasive plant species (neophytes)
- Planting work for new or replacement plantings and seasonal adjustments
- Care of potted plants and greening of terraces and balconies
- Installation, inspection, and maintenance of irrigation systems, including winter drainage
- seasonal work such as spring start, pruning, fertilizing, and preparing for winter
The more challenging the conditions—such as slopes, dense woodland, shady areas, or difficult soil conditions—the more sensible it is to hire a specialist company. Improper pruning or incorrect plant selection often lead to high follow-up costs years later.
How much does a gardener cost in Switzerland?
The cost of gardening services varies significantly depending on the type of work involved. While simple maintenance work is usually billed by the hour, specialized tasks such as tree care, garden planning, or machine work incur higher rates. To give you a quick overview, you will find the most important guidelines right at the beginning.
Standard hourly rates (guideline values)
Service from to
Gardener / Garden maintenance 70 CHF 100 CHF
Landscape gardener / Master gardener 95 CHF 120 CHF
Garden planning / Landscape architecture $120 $170
The effective price is influenced by, among other things:
• Distance to the place of use and travel costs
• Training, experience, and specialization of the company
• Scope and difficulty of the work
• Use of machines, equipment, or special tools
• Disposal costs and materials required
For this reason, quotes for similar gardening work can vary significantly.
Costs for frequent gardening work
The following prices are indicative. In practice, the actual price is determined primarily by the amount of work involved, the accessibility of the garden, and disposal and machine costs.
- lawn care
Lawn mowing per square meter
$0.40 - $0.55
Lawn mowing & scarifying per m²
$1.00 - $1.40
Fertilizing the lawn
0.70 CHF - 1.50 CHF
- Weeds & Flower beds
Weeding per square meter
6 CHF - 10 CHF
Preparing flower beds (hourly rate)
80 CHF - 110 CHF
- Hedges & Shrubs
Simple hedge trimming per running meter
8 CH - /
Radical pruning (back to the stump)
/ - 55 CHF
- winter preparation
Wrap plants for winter protection per m²
70 CHF - 110 CHF
- tree care
Many tree care companies work with flat rates. These often include machinery, safety equipment, and disposal.
Tree pruning per tree
300 CHF - 700 CHF
Tree felling (depending on height and surroundings)
600 CHF - 1,900 CHF
Note: When comparing quotes, always check whether travel, machinery, and disposal are already included in the price. These items often account for significant price differences.
Garden planning & landscaping: Realistically estimating additional costs
As soon as gardening work goes beyond ongoing maintenance and a redesign or new construction is planned, the effort and budget involved increase significantly. Planning, coordination, and materials play a central role here. Those who plan carefully at an early stage avoid later adjustments and unnecessary additional costs.
- Typical cost components in landscaping projects
Consulting & Planning
$95–$120/hour
Performing gardening work
70–100 CHF / hour
Materials (plants, wood, stone, soil, grass)
highly project-dependent
Machines (e.g., excavators, shredders, compactors)
additional flat rates
Frequent gardening tasks
Creating terraces, seating areas, and garden spaces
- Re-laying or completely replacing lawns
- Building paths, walls, borders, and edging
- Designing and installing irrigation systems
- Implementing planting and design concepts
- Create ponds, biotopes, or water features
The larger and more complex the project, the more important it is to have a well-thought-out overall concept. Good planning not only saves money, but also prevents duplication of work and subsequent corrections.
Tree care: requirements, safety, and cost factors
Working on trees is one of the most technically and safety-relevant tasks in the garden. It requires expertise, experience, and often special equipment. Incorrect cuts can cause long-term damage or pose a safety risk.
Many specialist companies charge flat rates, which usually include the following services:
- Securing the work area
- Climbing technique or use of a lifting platform
- Machines such as shredders or chainsaws
- Removal and disposal of cut material
- Working hours of the qualified specialist
- Typical costs in tree care
Light maintenance pruning
250 CHF - 400 CHF
Severe pruning
$400 - $900
Tree felling (depending on location)
600 CHF - 1,900 CHF
Rootstock milling
250 CHF - 450 CHF
📌 If a tree is located in close proximity to buildings, roads, or power lines, additional safety and protective measures increase the effort required—and thus also the costs significantly.
Doing garden work yourself or hiring a professional company?
In principle, many gardening tasks can be done by yourself. In reality, however, this often fails due to a lack of time, experience, or suitable tools. This is precisely why many homeowners seek professional assistance—either at specific times of the year or as part of regular maintenance.
Common forms of support
- Individual assignments as needed (e.g., spring or fall maintenance)
- Ongoing maintenance on a monthly basis
- Comprehensive support with weekly assignments
For safety and quality reasons, certain tasks are best left to professionals:
- Tree pruning and tree felling
- Working on slopes or in areas that are difficult to access
- Removing invasive plant species
- Use of heavy or dangerous machinery
- Cuts with safety implications
A professional gardener not only takes care of the physical work, but also reduces the risk of improper care, damage to plants, or accidents.
Garden year at a glance: Which tasks make sense when
A garden has different requirements depending on the season. Planning maintenance and pruning at the right time promotes healthy growth and significantly reduces the amount of work required later on.
spring
March
- Prepare and loosen the beds
- Remove winter protection
- Pruning fruit trees (in frost-free weather)
- Remove leaves and moss from the lawn
April
- Overseeding or repairing the lawn
- Shaping hedges and shrubs
- Planting vegetable beds
- Check irrigation system
May
- Start mowing regularly
- Plant summer plants
- Fertilizing shrubs and perennials
- Pest control
summer
June
- Lawn care and fertilization
- Pruning roses and ornamental shrubs
- Remove weeds
- Water sufficiently
July
- Pruning of many flowering plants
- trim hedges
- Fertilize potted plants regularly
- Keep lawn edges clean
August
- Cut back spring flowers
- Check lawn for drought stress
- Divide perennials
- Harvest in the kitchen garden
autumn
September
- Thinning out shrubs
- Carry out autumn planting
- Scarifying and reseeding the lawn
- Check trees for safety
October
- Remove leaves regularly
- Last lawn mowing
- Preparing potted plants for winter
- Final hedge trimming
November
- Planting shrubs
- Drain irrigation system
- Attach winter protection
winter
December – January
- Remove snow from hedges and shrubs
- Clean and maintain tools
- Garden planning for the coming year
February
- Pruning trees and shrubs in suitable weather conditions
- Prepare for indoor sowing
- Checking for frost and winter damage
👉 Specialist companies know the optimal time frames for maintenance and pruning work. This protects plants, improves development, and prevents unnecessary follow-up costs.
Legal framework for gardening work in Switzerland
Even work in your own garden is subject to legal regulations. Anyone who fails to comply with these regulations risks trouble with neighbors or official sanctions. A brief overview of the most important points will help you avoid conflicts from the outset.
🔇 Quiet hours and noiseregulations
The use of loud garden tools such as lawn mowers, trimmers, or shredders is restricted to certain times. Many municipalities have fixed quiet hours during lunchtime, in the evening, and on Sundays and public holidays. The exact regulations vary from place to place and should be checked before starting work.
🌳 Distances to neighboring properties
Minimum distances from property boundaries apply to trees, shrubs, and hedges. These are regulated at the cantonal level and depend on the type of plant and its height. If the distances are not observed, pruning or even relocation may be required.
🌿 Overhanging branches androots
If plants grow beyond the property line, neighbor law applies. In many cases, there is an obligation to cut them back. Talking to your neighbor early on prevents unnecessary disputes.
🔥 Garden fires andcomposting
Open fires are prohibited in many communities or only permitted under strict conditions. The same applies to composting: no odors or nuisances may be caused. Cleanly managed composting areas prevent complaints.
💧 Water consumption andirrigation
During prolonged dry periods, municipalities may impose restrictions or bans on garden watering. Private wells often have to be registered or approved.
🧱 Structural elements in the garden
A building permit may be required for permanent structures such as pergolas, garden sheds, retaining walls, or underground irrigation pipes. The respective municipality decides whether a permit is necessary and at what size.
Conclusion: When does it make sense to hire professional gardening help?
A well-kept garden is the result of continuous care, professional work, and sensible planning. Without time, experience, or the right tools, this can quickly become a burden. A professional gardener will reliably take on these tasks and ensure that plants remain healthy and the garden improves in quality over the long term.
Professional support quickly pays off, especially when it comes to regular maintenance, challenging pruning, or larger projects. Thanks to transparent hourly rates, the costs remain manageable—and you can use your garden again for what it was intended: a place of relaxation and quality of life.
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