GARDEN MAINTENANCE
Garden Design
Planting Designs
Garden Styling
Advice & Consultancy
Gardens are like humans - we all need a little love and maintenance.
At My Garden Designer, we understand that many clients lead busy lives, and at the same time they still want the beauty and relaxation that their garden can offer them.
During our garden design consultation with you, we will discuss your lifestyle and the time available to maintain your garden. This will then give us the basis on which to start thinking about ideas for your outdoor space.
In the slides below, we have set out some of things you may want to think about in the early stages so we can discuss them when we chat. Read our garden maintenance blog for more information on this subject.
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Lifespan of a garden
The consensus on the lifespan of a garden before it loses it shape is as follows:
2 years – if you do very little to maintain it
5-10 years – if you follow the maintenance schedule
10+ years – if you invest time and effort
Precise and neat garden styles require more regular maintenance to keep them in shape.
Informal, looser garden styles still need maintenance, but it will be reduced and less frequent.
However, they will still get a bit more on the ‘messy’ side if you don’t keep on top of garden maintenance.
Investing money in a garden redesign is only worthwhile if you are prepared to take care of it. Plants won't survive if you don’t take care of them. Like humans!
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How much time can you spare?
When you are thinking about changing any part of your garden, it’s crucial you also consider your lifestyle.
It's really important at an early stage to calculate the number of hours, and the type of garden maintenance that will be required. You can then factor in the jobs you would be happy to do yourself or can enlist your family into helping out!
Alternatively, you may like to employ a local gardener for a few hours each month to keep on top of the maintenance or to take on the heavy jobs.
Be honest about how much time you will be able to spend maintaining the garden. If you are short of time, choose a style with lower maintenance.
It is also important to think about maintenance early on and discuss any concerns with My Garden Designer. We will take into account your lifestyle and help you by designing a garden that requires the level of maintenance and time you can realistically commit to.
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What needs doing?
Watering - All new plants need daily watering in dry weather until they are established during the first year.
Pruning – Trees and bushes need pruning once a year.
Topiary - Requires trimming to keep the new growth tidy and maintain a good shape.
Deadheading – Blooming flowers require regular deadheading so they can continue to flower.
Lawn – Requires mowing every fortnight from March to October
Leaves – We recommend that you don’t do anything with leaves, but if you wish to rake them up in the autumn, you will need extra time to do it.
Climbers – Many climbing plants need supports, trellis or tying up to keep the new shoots in place.
Weeding – Do it often, especially when weeds are small and easier to remove.
