AIBU - gardener difficulties

[JavanDawns]

I'm 34 weeks pregnant and need some help keeping on top of the weeds and finishing some projects in the garden (hubby is very good but we just don't have enough time now I'm out of action). So we agreed to get a gardener for this summer to help us out and a neighbour recommended someone he uses.

He's friendly and efficient when he's here but he doesn't want to give us a fixed time slot every fortnight for some reason. He'll just say 'I'll be with you in the afternoon' which is quite a wide window when we're both working full time and need to fit letting him in around meetings and travel etc... He has only come twice and then cancelled last minute one week but didn't reschedule for 2 weeks and it's taking a lot of my time chasing him up to rebook. What was supposed to save me time and stress is becoming quite time consuming and the garden is still looking a state!

He also requested cash in hand only to 'avoid the dreaded tax' which I found a bit rich as we're both self employed and always careful to pay our dues in terms of taxes.

I've found another gardener at a cheaper rate, but worried about rocking the boat with our neighbour as they recommended him and also not sure if this is normal as it's the first time we've had a gardener.

Would appreciate your thoughts:

YANBU - let him go and get a new gardener

YABU - this is standard working practice for gardeners

From what I understand it's standard practise, largely because gardeners are tied to the whims of the British weather! He'll have great chunks of time where he can't work, then the weather will change and he'll have to squeeze everyone in. If he's a good gardener I would personally keep him on - they're quite tricky to get round here!

YANBU

Oh op....you are like me aren't you ? I don't want to hurt people even when they are not doing whatever they are supposed to and by, 'supposed to I mean the bare minimum'.

Don't worry about the neighbors you can always tell them that he was good and thank them. Get another Gardner and see how it fits in your schedules. You will have your hands full in a couple of weeks op , you will need reliable people and will have no time to chase people. ❤️

I'd just tell him that because you need to let him in and your meetings etc are unpredictable just like his, that you are going to knock it on the head.

Then hire who you want to. But don't be surprised if you get the same again, as gardening is a specifically weather dependent activity and some things just cannot be done in the heat, or the rain, so juggling times and activities becomes part and parcel of the job.

You won't be rocking the boat with the neighbour if you simply explain that this gardener doesn't have time to fit you in when you need him. If the neighbour is at home when he does theirs, they might offer to let him into your garden so he could do yours as well. Do you actually need to be there when he comes?

Not keen on the tax avoidance bit though.

Thanks for the replies everyone, that's been really helpful.

We don't have access to the back garden without going through the house, hence needing to let him in so that doesn't help!

I might give him a couple more sessions then call it a day once the baby is here as that'll give us a natural break anyway