What a Mali Actually Does, and What They Do Not
A gardener, or mali, handles lawn care, plant maintenance, seasonal planting and general garden upkeep. What surprises first-time hirers is how much this varies by property: a small lawn and a few potted plants needs a very different arrangement than a large garden with seasonal flower beds, hedges and a lawn that needs weekly cutting through summer.
How Often You Actually Need One
This is the first thing to get right, and most households get it wrong in one direction or the other. A small urban garden might only need a mali two or three times a week for an hour or two. A larger property with serious landscaping can justify a full-time gardener. Before you advertise the role, walk your own garden and honestly estimate the hours of work it generates in a week, rather than defaulting to "full-time" out of habit or "part-time" to save money when the garden actually needs more.
What It Costs
Gardeners in Pakistan are hired on a monthly basis, starting around PKR 25,000, scaling with hours, property size and whether the role includes tasks like irrigation system maintenance or seasonal planting design rather than basic upkeep. A mali who only mows and waters costs less than one who also manages seasonal planting and knows which plants suit your climate and soil.
Verification Still Matters
Because a gardener often has unsupervised access to your property, sometimes with a gate key or code, the same background check applies as any other household hire: CNIC checked against NADRA records, a Police Character Certificate from their own local police station, and previous employers called directly, not a reference letter taken at face value.
The Part Nobody Mentions: Seasonal Workload
Garden work is not flat across the year. Summer means more frequent mowing and watering, spring means planting season, and winter is comparatively light in most of Pakistan's climate zones. If you are hiring for a fixed monthly rate, agree upfront whether that rate assumes a flat weekly schedule or one that flexes with the season, since this is where disputes tend to start around month four or five.
Getting Started
Tell us your property size, how often it currently gets attention (even if that is "not enough"), and whether you want basic upkeep or someone who can also handle seasonal planting decisions. We match from a verified pool and most placements close within 24 to 48 hours, with a one-time placement fee and a 6-month replacement guarantee.