The lawn was never the problem.
When the real work is weeding, garden beds, pruning and a section gone wild, the pricing switches from per visit to per hour. Wellington gardener rates run $50–$90 per hour in published guides, and big overgrown cleanups are usually quoted as a job after photos or a site visit. Here is who does the work beyond grass.
Is this your stream?
Overgrown beds, weeding runs, pruning and a section that needs clearing are hourly work. If the list is long or the section is wild, expect a quoted job with minimum hours rather than a straight rate.
A tidy lawn on a schedule is the mowing stream, priced per visit. Hedges and fruit-tree pruning sit at the skilled $75–$110 band in the hedge trimming stream, above this one.
What garden work costs
Garden maintenance is the hourly stream. These are the published bands to shortlist from, based on published Wellington and NZ cost guides.
$50–$90 per hour
Published NZ cost guides put Auckland and Wellington gardener rates at $50–$90 per hour. Weeding, bed work and general pruning sit in this band.
$75–$110 per hour
Precision hedge trimming and fruit-tree pruning sit higher, at $75–$110 per hour. Scope those separately in the hedge trimming stream so the quote prices the skill in.
Quoted as a job
Big overgrown cleanups are usually quoted after a site look or photos, often with a minimum-hours commitment, rather than at a straight hourly rate. Send photos before asking for a number.
Wellington garden providers, compared
Section clearers, full-service gardeners and flexible one-man operations, grouped by best fit. Hover a row for the detail that matters.
Common mistakes
Booking mowing when the real job is garden restoration: weeds, garden beds and pruning are hourly work, not a mow.
Expecting a big overgrown cleanup at a straight hourly rate: it is usually quoted as a job after photos or a site visit, often with a minimum-hours commitment.
Not scoping the hours: a bit of weeding expands to fill the day. Agree a task list or an hours cap before the work starts.
Forgetting the green waste: a full section of prunings needs disposal, and Southern Landfill charges it by weight. Confirm whether the hourly rate includes tip fees.
Ignoring access: steep Wellington sections, steps and narrow paths take longer and should be in the quote upfront.
Mixing streams in one quote: mowing is per visit and garden work is per hour. Ask for them as separate lines so you can compare like with like.
FAQ
What does garden maintenance cost per hour?
Published NZ cost guides put Wellington gardener rates at roughly $50–$90 per hour for weeding, beds and general pruning. Specialist work like precision hedge trimming or fruit-tree pruning sits higher, at $75–$110 per hour, in the hedge trimming stream.
Hourly rate or quoted job?
Small, defined jobs run hourly. Big overgrown cleanups are usually quoted as a job after photos or a site visit, often with a minimum-hours commitment, because the state of the section and the volume of green waste make an hourly guess unreliable.
What counts as garden maintenance?
Weeding, garden-bed work, pruning and general section upkeep, plus section clearing when it has got away on you. Lawn mowing is priced separately per visit, and precision hedge work sits at the skilled hourly band.
Who does section clearing in Wellington?
VK Lawn and Garden lists section clearing for homes and businesses with a free quote within 48 hours; Aloha Gardening & Landscaping handles full restoration and landscaping; John's Jobs suits clearing as part of a bigger tidy-up. Send photos first either way.
What should I ask before booking?
Send photos and state the suburb, section size, the state of the beds, access (steps, slopes, gates) and how much green waste will come out. Ask whether the rate includes GST and disposal, whether there is a minimum-hours commitment, and whether the cleanup is better quoted as a job.
Scope garden work separately from the mow: mowing is per visit, garden maintenance is per hour at $50–$90, and precision pruning belongs to the hedge stream at $75–$110. Section clearing goes to VK or Aloha; small recurring jobs go to iHumans or John's Jobs; a full section restore suits Aloha's landscaping angle. For a big overgrown cleanup, expect a quoted job with minimum hours rather than a straight rate, and send photos first.