How much does garden maintenance cost in Melbourne?
Ongoing garden maintenance in Melbourne’s inner South East and Bayside runs $195 to $445 per visit, depending on the size of your garden and how much is included. Each visit is carried out by a trained gardener, with green waste taken away. A one-off Garden Reset for a garden that has got away from you starts at $680. Every price on this page includes GST.
Why our prices are on this page
Most garden maintenance companies won’t give you a number until they’re standing in your garden. We think that wastes your time and ours. Below are our actual prices — the same ones we quote on site. If they’re not right for your garden, you’ll know before you pick up the phone.
Every figure on this page includes GST. We don’t quote ex-GST and add it at the end.
The three care plans
Refresh Garden Care Plan
$195 per visit
- 15 visits over 12 months, weighted toward the growing season
- $2,925 a year
For smaller, established gardens already in good shape that need keeping there.
Included each visit:
Lawn mowing, edging & blowing • Light garden bed tidying • Light weeding (surface-level) • Preventative pruning • Limited leaf and debris removal
Nurture Garden Care Plan
$295 per visit
- 20 visits over 12 months
- $5,900 a year
The plan most of our clients are on. Enough attention each visit to get ahead of the garden rather than just tidying it.
Included each visit:
Lawn mowing, edging & blowing • Detailed garden bed weeding • Hedge trimming (height and width control) • Seasonal pruning of shrubs and plants • Ongoing monitoring of garden growth and condition • General presentation management
Thrive Garden Concierge Plan
$445 per visit
- 20 visits over 12 months
- $8,900 a year
For larger gardens, or owners who would rather have the garden managed than maintained.
Included each visit:
Lawn mowing, edging & blowing • Detailed weeding and bed maintenance • Hedge trimming and structural pruning • Advanced pruning and shape correction • Topiary and precision plant shaping • Feature garden detailing • Proactive garden planning and prioritisation • Priority scheduling and tailored care
Visits are weighted toward the growing season rather than spread evenly through the year, so they land when the garden actually needs them. No lock-in, and you can skip a scheduled visit at no cost.
Garden Reset — $680
Where most clients start. A garden that has been left for a while usually needs bringing back before a regular schedule makes sense.
Beds cleared and weeded, hedges and shrubs cut back, lawn mown and edged, and 500L of green waste taken away — worked through in priority order so the things that matter most to you get done first.
One-off. No obligation to continue with a care plan afterwards, though most people do.
Larger projects
Some gardens need more than a reset — a full rebuild of the beds, replanting, or starting again with a garden that hasn’t worked for years. We quote full garden transformations individually, because no two are close enough to price from a list. Ask when we visit.
Add-ons and extras
We never apply any herbicide, pesticide or other chemical at your property without your express permission. That is a standing rule, not a policy we flex on.
What changes the price
- Garden size, and how much of it is planted rather than lawn
- Access — steps, narrow side gates, upper terraces, anything that means carrying rather than wheeling
- Green waste volume — how much comes out, and how often
- Season — spring and early summer grow faster and need more frequent visits, which is why plan visits are weighted toward the growing months
- Condition at the start — a neglected garden usually needs a Garden Reset before a regular plan is worth starting
How quoting works
- Call 1800 22 02 17 or request a quote online.
- We come to the property and walk the garden with you. This is where we work out what the garden actually needs, not just what it looks like it needs.
- You get a written quote with a recommended plan and visit frequency.
- If it suits, we book the first visit.
Free, and no obligation.
Our terms
- No lock-in contract. Cancel any time.
- Skip a scheduled visit at no cost if you’re away or don’t need it.
- Payment at completion of each visit, by direct debit or bank transfer.
- Every price includes GST.
Why we’re not the cheapest
We’re not competing with a $60 mow. A cheaper gardener is easy to find and there’s nothing wrong with wanting one — if all you need is the lawn cut, we’re the wrong choice and we’ll tell you so.
What we do is keep a garden improving year on year: the same team every visit, seasonal work planned ahead rather than reacted to, and someone who notices the problem before it becomes a $2,000 problem. That takes more time on site than a mow-and-go, and the price reflects it.
Our free guides make this same argument at length, if you want the longer version.
Frequently asked questions
Do your prices include GST?
Yes. Every price we publish and every price we quote includes GST. We don’t quote ex-GST and add it at the end.
Do I have to sign a contract?
No. There is no lock-in on any of our care plans. You can cancel at any time, and you can skip a scheduled visit at no cost.
How much does a gardener cost per hour in Melbourne?
Our care plans are priced per visit rather than per hour, because what matters is what gets done, not how long it takes. For additional work outside a plan we charge $125 per hour.
Is it cheaper to pay per visit or take a care plan?
The care plan visit prices above are the per-visit prices — there’s no separate rate. What a plan gives you is a schedule weighted to the growing season, the same gardeners each time, and seasonal work planned in advance rather than requested reactively.
How often should a gardener visit?
Most Melbourne gardens need attention every two to four weeks through spring and summer, and less often over winter. That’s why our plans are 15 to 20 visits across the year rather than a fixed fortnightly schedule — the visits land when the garden needs them.
What’s included in a garden maintenance visit?
It depends on your plan, but every visit includes lawn mowing, edging and blowing. Refresh adds light garden bed tidying, light surface-level weeding and preventative pruning. Nurture steps up to detailed bed weeding, hedge trimming for height and width, seasonal shrub pruning and ongoing monitoring of the garden’s condition. Thrive adds structural pruning, topiary and precision shaping, feature garden detailing, and proactive planning. Mulching, fertilising and larger one-off jobs are quoted separately as add-ons on any plan.
What happens to the green waste?
It goes with us. A Garden Reset includes 500L. On care plans, ordinary green waste is included and larger volumes are charged at the rates in the table above.
Do you do garden design or landscaping?
No. We’re a garden maintenance business — we look after gardens rather than build them. For design and construction work you’ll want a landscape designer or landscaper.
Do you remove trees?
No. We prune and shape small trees and ornamentals as part of garden care, but we don’t do tree removal or large-tree work. That’s arborist work and needs a qualified arborist — we’re happy to point you to one.
Want a number for your own garden?
We’ll come out, walk the garden with you, and put it in writing. Free, no obligation. Call 1800 22 02 17.