AIBU to insist we restore the gardener's fortnightly visits?

[JanefromSpain]

Am I being unreasonable - last month my husband reduced how often the gardener comes from once per fortnight to once per month. Now the lawnmower has broken and the garden is getting completely out of control. Is it unreasonable to demand that we get the gardener back once a fortnight?

Your post doesn't make sense.

Er - once a week is more? Did you mean it's gone down to once a month? Get a strimmer? I've been strimming today with quite a heavy duty one, it's quick and brilliant.

You’ve muddled up week and fortnight, I think?

The lawnmower breaking is unrelated to how often the gardener comes, isn’t it? You can get that fixed or get a new one without the gardener.

TBH, I think people mow their lawns far too often, so I don’t think once a fortnight is too bad. I like to see the lush green grass dotted with daisies you get when you let it grow a bit.

Do you have to demand it? Rather than discuss? Why is it your husband’s sole decision? Why did he reduce it to monthly? Financial pressure or because you disagree with each other about how tightly it needs to be maintained? What’s out of control exactly?

Sorry. I meant from once a fortnight to once a month.

I muddled it. I meant from once a fortnight to once a week. Honestly this garden is stressing me out!

He says it’s too expensive as the Gardeners rate has gone up from £15 per hour to £25 per hour which he says is unreasonable! I’ll tell you what’s unreasonable- a garden that’s gone completely out of control!

Buy a new lawnmower and mow the lawn. That's what normal people do when theirs breaks.

That’s hardly helpful. We know we need to fix the lawnmower!

YANBU he is being tight. £15/hr is barely minimum wage & by the time the gardener has factored in travel time he’s barely earning anything. We pay our dog walker £12.75/30mins for an easy walk. Is he the one paying? I can’t see why it’s just his decision. What salary does he earn - would he work for £15/hr?

Oh it does to professional gardeners. The wife hires you. You do a great job . Or the husband tries to work alongside you....either way his nose is out of joint.

I once had from the wife " we didn't know what you did when we were away" what the 30 yards of hedge cut. The weeds that were growing in the foundations of your house and the apple tree pruning weren't a fucking clue

I completely agree. His pay has gone up to £25 per hour but it’s still completely reasonable IMO. Frankly, I don’t know how he can live on that sort of money. I’d pay him more if I could!

Not if you can afford a gardener...how did i work for 70+ hours a week for 20 years this time of year

I appreciate what you do. But sadly my hubby doesn’t see it. Complete ignoramous!

It’s really hard to judge. If your finances are tight then I can see why he doesn’t want to pay £50 a month for something you could keep on top of yourselves / is purely aesthetic. It’s confusing why it’s his decision. Do you not have access to money?

He’s on about £200k so he can bloody afford it IMO. He seems to think it’s the principle of the thing! The man’s a lunatic and my hedges are getting out of control!

My gardener is £20 a time and takes him about 20 minutes. Worth every penny. Plus he takes the rubbish away so no need to pay for garden waste

£1 per minute. Completely reasonable IMO.

I'm on considerably less than 10% of that, and on my own, so nothing that coming in. And I still find fortnightly visits from the gardener for eight months of the year, money well spent.

Finances are ok but I am on maternity leave so they are a bit tighter at the moment.
I have access to my own money but my husband has always dealt with the gardener.
He says £100 per month is too much and that he can do it once per month himself. But then our daughter broke the lawnmower and he hasn’t been able to.
Now the garden is getting overgrown and it’s making me very upset.

I can’t see how you can be on less than £20k? The minimum wage is around £45k now isn’t it?

Is that you Lady Chatterley?
Why don't you book and pay for whatever you want?

Have you considered getting a robot lawnmower?

The minimum wage is around £45k now isn’t it

Oh, a wind-up. How tiresome.

Excuse me for being facetious but it’s not get legal to get paid than £20k per year for a full time role in the UK. Ok - it might be part time! But even so, there’s no chance you’re then paying for a gardener once a fortnight!!!