Here at the nursery we offer just such a service...we are a full service nursery; plant sales, design, construction and garden maintenance. We do not offer lawn cutting service but instead weekly, monthly, twice yearly and annual clean up of your garden. We change out annual plantings as needed along with weeding and fertilizing. If our field staff is unable to answer a question or solve a customers problem they will request the help of a specialist at the nursery. I am sure there is other nurseries that offer the same service...something the big box stores do not offer. Would be worth checking into at your location. -----Original Message----- From: Jane McGary Sent: Thursday, November 19, 2015 11:43 AM To: Pacific Bulb Society Subject: [pbs] Gardeners, was Japanese trowel/knife of some sort Wishing someone could help weed one's garden is a common dream, especially as our knees age. The USA (also, judging by Rodger's note, Canada) is sadly lacking in such people. There are plenty who bill themselves as "garden designers" despite apparently having learned their trade by reading books written in entirely different parts of the continent; acquaintances of mine have fallen victim to these plausible poseurs. As for actual gardeners, there is little opportunity for young people to learn the trade. College horticulture programs focus on commercial "landscape" services and agriculture, not on private gardens. I know several brilliant working gardeners, but for a viable occupation they have had to work in public agencies, commercial nurseries, or gardens of the wealthy. When one of them retired recently, I wndered if he and his wife (both trained at Wisley) might teach their skills; don't know if they will. The only really good gardener who has worked for me now has a fulltime job in an environmental field and his own nursery too. Now I restrict my outsourcing to jobs requiring power equipment and brute force. As for me, back on two good legs for the present, this weekend is for cutting down the peonies and tomatoes, and doing something about the leaves before they smother the snowdrops (Galanthus reginae-olgae just putting up buds). Jane McGary Portland, Oregon, USA _______________________________________________ pbs mailing list pbs@lists.ibiblio.org http://pacificbulbsociety.org/list.php http://pacificbulbsociety.org/pbswiki/