gardening

I maintain gardens for clients in South London with a focus on nature friendly and sustainable practices. What this means in practice is that I will..

• not use pesticides or herbicides

• not use chemical fertilisers in the ground

• always use peat free compost

• recommend pollinator friendly planting

• not cut back perennials in autumn but rather leave them standing for as long as possible, cutting back when things get too messy and finally cutting back in late winter

• keeping some degree of natural debris in beds and borders, particularly at the back

I prefer to work on a regular, year round basis; to allow tasks to be carried out at the appropriate time of year and allow planning for the long term development of the garden. Examples of tasks that I might carry out at different times of year might be:

• WINTER: pruning fruit trees, roses and other trees and shrubs, planting bulbs, cutting back perennials

• SPRING: weeding, dividing, new planting, sowing seeds, pruning certain trees and shrubs

• SUMMER: weeding, mowing and lawn care, watering, tying in/training climbers, staking and deadheading

• AUTUMN: mulching, raking leaves, dividing and new planting

I charge £30/hour for garden maintenance. Please contact me to enquire about availability.