How much general does a gardener cost and how many

We are looking at hiring a gardener for maybe 2 or 3 hours a week to help get our place looking good. We are been working at it for 2 years now (and working full time, so a few hours every few weekends). When we moved onto the 900m2 section it was very over grown and marshy (the stream was blocked and had been a long time). The place is finally a normal back yard! relatively weed free but we are wanting to get it looking great now we have gotten it back to a normal section.

So what do you think. how much do gardeners generally cost a hour! Can anyone recommend a really great gardener who works efficiently and has some great ideas and doesn't mind a dog (our girl is free roaming on the fully fenced property, if they would prefer to work without her bugging them they can pop her in her kennel and let her out when they leave, but they mustn't be scared of her - she is a boxer and very friendly but I don't want to have her locked in her kennel all day if a gardener is too scared to pop her away.

We are on a relatively strict budget, so looking for someone who can be creative like us.

Any things to watch out for / be aware of when hiring one would be great

Note: Live in Waitakere Auckland (Glen Eden)

Depends on the scope of the job. Do they have to take weeds etc. away or just a flat rate for working in your backyard. Do you want a gardener or landscaper! Estimate $20 to 40 per hour

Thanks Jenny.

Nope we have a huge weed bag for weeds and a compost. Its just general weeding, maybe planting a few flowers or something if we buy some.
No landscaping but if they have some great ideas (its a creative property - shape, creek running through it, bridge etc) then that would be fun

A creative person will generally charge more than a non-creative person.

Mine is a garden labourer rather than a creative, we have a 1.5 acre section of natives - nothing fancy, weeding, lawns, spraying.He charges $30ph plus the cost of weed/clippings disposal at a garden waste place.

Around $25-30 an hour for basic gardening is a fair price. If you try a garden franchise to do it, they will charge a lot more than that.

Try Student job search, thats where I get mine from and pay $15 per hour. They are glad to get the money.