How to Start a Gardening Business

With 87% of households in Great Britain having access to outdoor space, according to 2020 Office for National Statistics figures, there is no shortage of business opportunities out there. However, there is also no shortage of professional gardeners and landscapers: data platform Statista reports that 164,600 people in the UK were in the gardening business as of 2023, rising from 149,600 in 2021.

That means you need to spend some time researching the market, creating a budget, putting funding in place and making a marketing plan so that you can stand out from the competition. Think of these initial stages as planting the seeds of your success so that, in time, you can watch your gardening business bloom and grow.

Why start a gardening business?

Here are at least four great reasons to start a gardening business:

Work outdoors: If you like to work in the fresh air, this is the perfect opportunity for you, and can even boost your mental and physical health. Just remember that working outdoors means working in the wet and cold as well as the sun and heat.
Be your own boss: Not only will you have the freedom to work outdoors, but you’ll also have the freedom to make your own decisions and work according to your own schedule.
Regular work: Gardeners often work for their clients regularly, be it every couple of weeks or every month. This guarantees a consistent income stream and allows you to build up valuable relationships with loyal customers.
Accessible: Tools and equipment can be expensive, but there is no minimum qualification required to become a professional gardener (though it can help your prospects to be qualified), making it an accessible business opportunity.

Start a gardening business in 5 steps

1. Research and choose your market

Step one is to dig into the roots of the UK’s gardening market to find out what opportunities there are, who your customers and competition will be, and how it all works.

Researching the competition is a vital part of the process. Find out what services rival gardening companies offer, how much they charge, what equipment they use and how they market themselves.

Customer research is also important. What are the demographics of consumers who employ professional gardeners and landscapers? That will help you target the right people and tailor your strategy effectively. For example, they are often retired people or busy professionals who don’t have the time or mobility to spend gardening. How many private or shared gardens are there in the area you want to work in?

You also need to find out what different types of gardening businesses there are to see which one may suit you and where there might be a gap in the market. You could work for one specific type of client or across multiple types, and, depending on your means and skills, offer a very specific type of service or a range of services.

Types of contracts/clients:

Private households: Private gardens come in all shapes and sizes, from small and domestic to those owned by large estates, as well as the gardens of shared residential properties.
Commercial contracts: Many businesses need gardening work, including landlords and estate agents, the gardens of large commercial premises, schools, hotels and churches.
Council work: Councils hire gardeners to work on green public spaces, such as parks, social spaces, council-owned care homes and cemeteries.

There are also different types of gardening services you could offer, including:

General maintenance: Mowing and keeping lawns and flowerbeds tidy, and getting rid of weeds fall under the large umbrella of general maintenance.
Landscaping and design: Creating appealing and practical gardens, including selecting the right plants and other features for the space is a part of landscaping and design.
Tree surgery: Tree surgery is a separate profession, but some gardeners also offer arborist services, such as pruning, felling, thinning and stump removal. This can be dangerous work, and you’ll need specialist equipment and training to carry it out

2. Create a budget for your gardening business

Next, you need to create a budget for your gardening business. Doing so will help you work out how much capital or funding you’re going to need to transform your gardening enterprise idea from a bud into a business.

Here’s what you should include:

Gardening tools and equipment: These can include a mower, strimmer and hedge trimmer, and more basic tools like a fork, pruning shears, rake, wheelbarrow and trowel, for example. If you offer arborist services, you’ll need more specialist equipment, such as a chainsaw, chipper and stump trimmer. Expect your tools to cost you a minimum of £3,000. Working out exactly what services you’ll offer will help you decide which tools you need to buy up front, rather than wasting funds on equipment you won’t use.
Safety equipment: You’ll probably need helmets, steel-toe boots, goggles or a visor, gloves and long trousers with kneepads. If you have employees, you’ll need to budget for the same safety gear for everyone in your team.
Van: One of your priciest purchases will be your van. You’ll need one that has a large enough payload (the amount of weight it can carry) to contain your tools and equipment and, if you do landscaping, to transport products such as patio slabs and take away waste materials. Popular choices include the Citroen Berlingo and Vauxhall Vivaro. Whatever you choose, make sure it has a solid divide between the cab and the rear storage to prevent insects that have latched on to garden waste or equipment coming into the cab. A van is also a useful marketing tool, as you can brand the sides and bonnet, and include your contact details. You should also budget for petrol, MOT and general maintenance.
Qualifications and training: As we stated earlier, you don’t need qualifications to be a professional gardener, but improving your horticultural knowledge and skills can only be a benefit when it comes to being competitive in the marketplace. There are full-time, part-time and online-only options available and BTEC National Diploma, NVQs and City & Guilds, HND and certificates from the RHS are recognised industry qualifications. Expect to pay around £760 to get an RHS Level 2 certificate, a popular choice for those interested in a gardening career.
Insurance: Gardeners run the risk of damaging their customers’ property or losing or breaking their valuable equipment. For example, a stone could fly up when you’re strimming and smash a window. Because of this, you should have public liability insurance, which covers you for third party claims against your business in the event of an accident. Tool or equipment cover is also a good idea, to replace them if they’re stolen or damaged. You will also need commercial van insurance. If you have employees (other than close family members), you must have employers’ liability insurance by law.

3. Register your gardening business

Now it’s time to think about the process of registering your budding gardening business. This will be the point at which your business formally takes root.

When you register your gardening business, you’ll have to settle on one of three business structures. You should look into each of your options, researching them thoroughly before you commit to anything:

Sole trader: Sole traders are the exclusive owners of their businesses. If you choose to operate your gardening business as a sole trader, all of your post-tax profits will be yours to keep. However, bear in mind that there is no legal separation between a sole trader and their business. This means that if your gardening business were to make a loss, you would end up personally responsible for covering the shortfall. Sole traders need to register for self-assessment to pay their taxes to HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC).
Partnership: Business partnerships are formed when multiple people share the responsibilities, risks, profits and losses which come with running a business. There are three main types of partnerships: general business partnerships, limited partnerships and limited liability partnerships. All partnerships have a ‘nominated partner’, who is responsible for filing the tax return for the partnership. If you are the ‘nominated partner’, you must register with HMRC. All partners will also need to submit their tax returns as individuals.
Limited company: The owners of limited companies are legally and financially distinct from their businesses. Bear in mind that if you run your gardening business as a limited company, you will have shares and shareholders. Any post-tax profits will be the company’s to keep. You can register as a limited company at Gov.uk.

» MORE: Should I register as a sole trader or limited company?

There are a few licences and regulations to think about when setting up a gardening business, and now is a good time to consider them.

Your gardening business may involve removing garden waste from your clients’ properties, but you can’t do this without legally registering as a waste carrier. For more details on how to register, visit Gov.uk.

You may also plan to use pesticides as part of your gardening services. This requires training and, in certain scenarios, you may be legally required to have a certificate of competence.

Similarly, if you plan to use a chainsaw in your gardening work, you’ll need to undergo training before firing up one of these potentially dangerous tools. You’ll also need a certificate of competence or a national competence award before using a chainsaw to cut a tree. You can find more details on the HSE website.

It is also highly advisable to take out insurance before you embark on your first gardening job.

Public liability insurance will protect you if someone else is injured – or if their property is damaged – as a result of your work.

Meanwhile, tools insurance will protect the equipment you need to perform your gardening duties, covering you against damage or theft to your supplies. If you plan on using a van to get yourself and your tools from A to B in the course of your gardening work, then commercial van insurance is also likely to be a necessary protection for your gardening business.

4. Fund your gardening business

With your budget written, a business structure in place, and all your market research conducted, it’s time to think about how you’ll fund your green-fingered enterprise.

You should have an idea by now of how much start-up capital you’ll need to get your gardening business up and running, but have you considered where you’ll source that money?

There are a fair few funding options to consider, and it’s advisable to take your time researching the possibilities. You might choose one of the following funding sources, or you could combine multiple sources to secure your seed capital:

Personal savings: Perhaps you already have enough money in the bank to pay the set-up costs for your gardening business and in that case, you might decide to simply use your own money to get started. If you go down this route, you will be able to retain full ownership of your gardening business – just be careful you don’t overcommit and harm your financial health in the process.
Friends and family: If you have friends and family who are willing to lend or give you some money to start your gardening business, then this could be a good option. However, be aware that accepting money from people you know can lead to disagreements further down the line. You can guard against difficulties by signing a written agreement before any money changes hands. In the UK, 19% of new business owners pay for their enterprise with money lent or gifted by their parents.
Small business grants: Non-repayable and partially repayable start-up business grants are available for small firms across the UK, in addition to specific grants for businesses in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Explore your options and see if any would be right for your gardening business.
Government business loans: In addition to grants (which don’t usually have to be paid back in full), UK businesses may be able to access government business loans (which will need to be repaid). Again, research your options and see if any appear suitable for you and your gardening business.
Business loans: Lenders offering traditional small business loans often look for an existing track record when making lending decisions. This means start ups can find it harder to secure funding. However, there are start-up-friendly business lenders out there, and you may be able to secure a business loan off the strength of your business plan and projections, even if you have no trading history.
Angel investors: Angel investors tend to take a hands-on approach to backing new businesses, offering investment as well as ongoing mentoring and support. Since angel investors are often wealthy and experienced business professionals, their valuable support tends to come at a price: usually a minority stake in the business. While angel investors don’t grow on trees, you should consider all options for your gardening business.
Crowdfunding: Crowdfunding involves lots of individuals pitching in to support a business in exchange for rewards like equity or early access to products. Crowdfunding often takes place through an online campaign and is an option to consider if you think you have a unique offering which people will get behind.

When you’ve decided on your approach to funding your gardening business, you may need to open a business bank account to keep track of your earnings and outgoings.

While this isn’t necessarily an essential step for sole traders (who don’t legally require a business bank account), this is an absolute must if you’re running your gardening business as a limited company or partnership. Both of these business structures come with a legal requirement to keep your personal and business finances separate.

Even if you’re going to run your gardening business as a sole trader, you may decide that it’ll save you hassle to open a business bank account now. This may make it easier to track profits and expenses as your business hopefully grows.

5. Find your first gardening customers

As a new gardening business, you should aim to stand out like a petunia in a bed of roses, the most common garden flower. Create a website that explains your services and, if you have them, qualifications, and make sure to use relevant keywords throughout your copy. A social media presence can also be useful, but make sure to focus your efforts on the platforms used by your target demographic. For example, if you’ll be gardening for pensioners, advertise on Facebook (the most popular social platform for those aged over 55) rather than TikTok.

Another good option is to join a guild or create a profile on an online trade directory, which are often free. This will make it easier for customers to find you and will lend your business an air of legitimacy that can be hard to secure as a new business. Customers can leave reviews on your profile and your membership may include additional marketing support.

How much do gardening businesses charge?

A good basic rate for a gardener in the UK is between £150 and £200 per day. However, you can vary your pricing strategy according to the types of services and individual tasks you offer. For example, a single job may involve a flat rate for standard services, such as mowing the lawn and general maintenance, and then charge more for additional services. These could be removing weeds and taking away garden waste, or more complex or dangerous jobs, such as stump removal or dealing with dangerous plants.

Your market research will help you determine a fair price for your services. But you should also factor in your running costs, overheads and other business expenses. This is a good way to work out at least how much you need to charge to cover your costs.

Image source: Getty Images

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