Dirty Work garden services owner Ben Bleach said dangerous gardening jobs included tree trimming and dealing with plants such as blackberries and roses.
He suspected injuries occurred when people tried to carry out jobs without the correct gear or equipment.
His staff protected themselves by wearing safety gear including gaiters, steel-capped boots, gloves, helmets and eye and ear protection.
Earmuffs were important when using machinery, regardless of how loud it was. That was because prolonged exposure to the sound could be dangerous, said Mr Bleach.
Nationwide, there were 54,519 ACC claims for injuries related to gardening last year. Those claims cost $36,172,401.
Again, the most common claims were for soft tissue injury, suffered by 35,121 gardeners. Lacerations, puncture wounds and stings were the next with 12,060 claims.
Concussions or brain injuries were the cause of 73 gardening-related claims last year.
Frances Palmer, of the Nursery and Garden Industry New Zealand, said common gardening injuries included scratches from thorns, cuts from knives and secateurs, and sore backs and wrists from bending and pulling.
More serious injuries included pulled or strained muscles from digging and lifting, and Legionnaires' disease from potting mixes and composts.
