Here’s our weekend… Partially entertaining at first then busy with a chainsaw on top of the hedge.
Here’s what I like to listen to whilst sitting on top of the cut off trunk 😉 …
Not a huge but quite overgrown leylandii hedge with narrow access to the back garden.
Hedge reduction and trim on both sides and top.
2 trailers worth of green waste.. there was a bit of a surprise when we started picking up cut,dead branches from inside it..
Turned out whoever trimmed that hedge in the past had tucked all the branches in the crown, so we had like double ther amount of waste to dispose off.
Nevertheless job done, client happy, even very happy..
Summer’s over but weather’s still very good and we’re certainly not slowing down!
In this garden we have:
Tidied up the borders, removed all the vegetation, roots, debris and old membrane. Layed down a new weed membrane and filled up these borders with beautiful white Cotswold stones.
Cut the hedges
Put up a new fence
All done in my favourite neighbourhood – Lower Earley / Reading.
Do you want to make sure your hedge is cut as it should be? Book a hedge cutting specialist @ Tidy Gardens
One simple thing when maintening your hedges as I mentioned some time earlier is a regular cut, but make sure you do it right !
It ain’t a rocket science, but so many people make that mistake.
Don’t cut your hedge in a reversed pyramid shape ! never.
Instead make a slight pyramid shape. That means cutting your hedge in a way that makes the bottom of it slightly wider than the top.
That will allow plenty of sun to get both to bottom and top of your hedge, making it all grow well from top to bottom.
Simples, right ? 😉
It was hot today, I did not take “before photos” sorry.
Here’s a couple of after photos.
Over the last few days we had great fun with some hedges. All of them overgrown and all of them conifers. Grow like mad so most probably leylandii hedges. 3 tall leylandii hedge reductions this week! How lucky we are 😮
Hedge reduction after photos below. Look at the amount of green waste these lovely plants deliver!
When it comes to hedge maintenance, regular hedge cutting / trimming is the single most important thing to do. Regular hedge trim will make your hedge compact and thick right from the bottom.
Why plant a hedge?
Hedge can be a perfect garden boundary, but the wrong one may give you troubles.
hedges provide shelter.
They dumpen noises, reduce strong winds
The obvious they give you privacy.
security but not all hedges. Thorny, prickly varieties like for example:
Common holly
Firethorn
Blackthorn
Barberry
Buckthorn
some hedging plants like photinia give you a beautiful seasonal change.
hedge supports wildlife. Birds love nesting in them as well as eating some berries.
unlike wooden fences, hedges won’t need replacing for many many years and they don’t require anything more than regular hedge cutting.
I can’t stress that too much.
Hedges need your commitment to regular hedge cutting / trimming.
All types of hedging need at least one hedge cut a year. Some varieties more than one.
A regular light prune is much better for you and your hedge then an occasional heavy cut.
Power tools do a quick job if done regularly. High and overgrown hedges often need costly specialist equipment or professional help
to get them back into shape.
You can avoid a lot of problems in future if you choose the right hedging plants for your boundary.
Hedge planting – the right choice.
The many benefits of growing hedges on your boundary depend on selecting the right plants for the situation. If you choose an unsuitable variety you could be faced with a range of problems, especially if the hedge grows too big. It will be difficult to trim and may cut out light to your garden or house.
Its roots could deprive other plants of water and nutrients, and even interfere with paths and buildings.
Oversize hedges will intrude on your garden space, and may cause problems with neighbours.
Oversize hedges can be costly and time consuming to cut back and most conifers, including Leyland and Lawson’s cypress, will not tolerate hard pruning.
If the hedge borders a road or path the local authority could get involved, and insist the hedge is cut back.
Luckily there is a wide range of plants available so it’s not difficult to achieve an attractive healthy hedge – one which will take only as much upkeep as you can manage, and create an attractive feature in your neighbourhood, not a bone of contention.
Growth rate
hedge cutting – how often
Size if unpruned
Foliage
Prickly?
Beech
xxx
Once
Large tree
D/LL
No
Berberis
xx
Once
Large shrub
E
Yes
Cherry laurel
xx
Once
Large shrub
E
No
Cotoneaster
xx
Once
Large shrub
E
No
Escallonia
xx
Twice
Large shrub
E
No
Firethorn
xx
Twice
Large shrub
E
Yes
Hawthorn
xxx
Twice
Small tree
D
Yes
Hazel
xxx
Once
Small tree
D
No
Holly
x
Once
Small tree
E
Yes
Hornbeam
xx
Once
Large tree
D/LL
No
Lawsons cypress
xx
Twice
Large tree
E Conifer
No
Leyland cypress
xxx
Twice
Large tree
E Conifer
No
Portugal laurel
x
Once
Large shrub
E
No
Privet
xx
Three
Large shrub
E
No
Rose
xx
Once
Large shrub
D
Yes
Western red cedar
xx
Twice
Large tree
E Conifer
No
Yew
x
Once
Large tree
E Conifer
No
Key:
Growth rate, for established plants
xxx – over 60cm/year
xx – 30-60cm/year
x – 15-30cm/year
Foliage:
D – deciduous
LL – dead leaves held in winter
E – evergreen
My favourite hedging plant has to be YEW ( taxus )
Classic choice but everlasting and makes an excellent hedge. Doesnt need that much hedge cutting either.
Tidy Gardens can trim/prune most of hedges, but if you are that lucky and have spectacular yew like on a picture above then DON’T call us. Call for a crane ! 🙂
Value for money Paul and Eddie spent a day clearing our very overgrown garden. They worked really hard for a good price and now I can see our flower beds again and can start planting them with proper plants rather than watch brambles and ivy take over the space.
They also left the garden really tidy, which I appreciated. Have already asked Paul to quote for another job.
NatalieReading
Hard work and expertise My garden had become quite overgrown and I was looking for a gardening team who have all the powertools, and can take the waste away, and who also know their plants. Paul and team were the only ones I found who could do this and they did a wonderful job.
My paths have been cleaned, stumps ground, borders cleared of weeds and ivy and everything has been pruned.
Paul had some excellent ideas for other things we could do to improve the garden which I am sure I will take him up on very soon.
Caroline LArborfield
Excellent experienced people. Phoned Paul to quote for cutting a large conifer hedge in my daughters garden, he arrived on time and quoted a very fair price so we agreed a day to do the work. On the day he was prompt and set to work straight away and didn’t really stop for about 4 hours!! Everything was cleared away and he even used a blower on the lawn to remove the last pieces! Excellent bloke and would certainly use him again. Highly recommended.
Rita LockyerReading
Terry Hill July 2020,
Paul and colleagues did a first class cleanup and tidy on my overgrown garden.
No hesitation in recommending their work.
Does not need to improve Requested a garden tidy last week. Paul and his team arrived on time yesterday and within a day had transformed an overgrown garden to something presentable. Would highly recommend
wayne alstonReading
G Rull Many thanks to the team for responding, quoting and doing the garden work so quickly. I would definitely recommend using your services to others I know.
G RullWokingham
January 2017. Good Job, well done. Paul and his colleague had their work cut out with our very overgrown garden. Turning up promptly at the time they said they would, they cracked on and very soon had cleared the ivy, brambles and nettles that had taken over. They also trimmed two mature and large hedges as well as mature shrubs and gave the patio area a very thorough weed and clean. All the waste was swept up and taken away. I could not have asked for any more from them – Thank you both very much.
Joe NallonReading
A Reliable Professional Service
This company has worked alongside ours in delivering an exceptional Grounds Maintenance service in difficult circumstances on a housing estate in Reading.
Over a period of a year the team have systematically improved the environment by making suggestions to our client and fulfilling them when approved.
They have regularly and efficiently attended the site and took ownership of their work whilst building a relationship with the key personnel involved.
I would like to thank them for their co… Read more
Paul DolmanGould landscapesReading
Re felting shed Many thanks for a job well done and a fast reply sent a text on Sunday and job done on Monday afternoon thank you.
Mary McKinleyReading
Really impressed May 2019
I was really impressed by the service provided by Paul.
I had a garden full of weeds and no real idea of what to do with it, Paul helped me make decisions about how I wanted it to look.
The work was completed within a week and I am delighted with the results.
I would definitely recommend Paul and his team.
SarahReading
Liz & David Cook June 2021. Impressive! Thank you to Pavel and his team. Our garden looked awful before they arrived as we had removed lots of leylandii/fir trees and the ground was left with dozens of stumps, uneven ground and a rotten fence. This is where Pavel and his team came in and transformed the area – working very efficiently even in the extremely hot weather. He is punctual and polite and does what he promises to do, while also giving good advice re maintenance. Our new fence is very smart and looks l… Read more
Liz & David CookCaversham
Mike December 2019.
Another fine job, Paul. Many thanks. You reduced the height of my Leylandii exactly as I wanted, and did a very neat and tidy job at a fair price. What’s more, you cleared up really carefully afterwards. It is always a pleasure to deal with you.
MikeEarley
Sue, Farley Hill, October 2013 Paul responded very quickly to my enquiry, and was able to carry out the work straightaway. Our very large lawns were cut perfectly, and all the edges were strimmed and left neat and tidy. Pawel was very polite and courteous. We will certainly be recommending him, and using his services again.
Sue, Farley Hill, October 2013
Sue AnsteeFarley Hill
Excellent fortnightly service
We have used Tidy Gardens for fortnightly grass cutting and general garden maintenance, for well over a year now.
They are reliable and ready to advise on all aspects required. Highly recommended.
Heather NicholsonLower Earley
Professional and Efficient Service Gate repair – December 2018
From start to finish this company was very professional. I even received a video of the job that had been completed. I would highly recommend them and will definitely be using them in the future for our customers.
Many Thanks
Holly GilborsonWren KitchensTilehurst
Outstanding job
We asked Paul at Tidy Gardens to undertake a major garden clearance – topping out overgrown trees, taking out and thinning bushes and general ground clearance.
Not only did his team do an outstanding job, but was flexible around timing, offered us great advice and even kept the neighbours happy. We could not recommend him highly enough to others who need either a major makeover like us or regular maintenance.
Guy EllisReading
CHRIS - June 2019 Paul and his colleague came to my father’s garden to carry out a big tidy up. They are very hardworking and did a great job cutting back a very overgrown hedge, tidying borders, mowing and clearing away all the waste afterwards.
Also great communication, emails and text answered promptly too
CHRIS - June 2019Earley, Reading
Excellent fencing, carefully installed Tidy Gardens replaced about 10 fencing panels that had suffered in the recent storms. The new panels were of a high quality and were installed with great care and attention to detail. Paul and his staff were meticulous in tidying up afterwards, leaving the lawn spotless. My neighbour and I are delighted with our new fence and pleased that we chose Tidy Gardens to fit it for us.
MikeLower Earley
Excellent job! Thank you, our jungle now looks like a garden again! Paul was hardworking and clearly takes pride in a job well done. Looking forward to enjoying the garden now Paul and team are on board to do regular maintenance.
SusiLower Earley
Hedge trimming, May 2014 Paul was able to give us a competitive quote and complete the work shortly afterwards. I was delighted to come home to see the garden looking so much better and all the waste taken away.
