How to Prepare a Garden for Professional Maintenance

Why Preparation Matters

Starting with a professional gardener is a big step. The first few visits set the tone for the whole relationship. If the gardener arrives to find an overgrown garden with no clear brief, they will spend the first visit just clearing up, which is expensive and frustrating. If they arrive to find a tidy garden with a clear agreement about what is included, they can focus on the maintenance work that keeps the garden looking good long-term.

This guide walks through the preparation we ask new clients across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Bedfordshire to do before our first maintenance visit. Most of it takes an hour or two of your time and saves many hours of gardener time over the first year.

Step 1: Have a Clearance If Needed

If the garden is overgrown, a one-off clearance before maintenance starts is the right first step. It brings the garden back to a manageable state so the maintenance gardener can focus on keeping it tidy. A clearance typically costs 350 to 750 pounds for a standard family garden, or 750 to 1,500 for a heavily overgrown one. See our clearance service.

Without a clearance first, the first few maintenance visits are spent just getting on top of the overgrowth, which is more expensive than a single clearance. Once the garden is cleared, regular maintenance keeps it that way.

Step 2: Agree What Is Included

Before maintenance starts, agree what is included in each visit. A typical maintenance visit includes:

• Lawn mowing and edging
• Weeding of borders
• Deadheading of flowering plants
• Light pruning of shrubs and perennials
• Hedge trimming (usually quoted separately for large hedges)
• Waste removal
• Sweeping of paths and patios

Things that are usually NOT included in a standard maintenance visit:

• Tree surgery (large tree work needs a specialist)
• Lawn renovation (scarification, aeration, overseeding)
• Hard landscaping (patio, fence, deck work)
• Planting schemes (quoted separately as soft landscaping)
• Pest and disease treatment (quoted as needed)

See our CGM Method page for detail on what our standard visit includes.

Step 3: Provide Access

Most maintenance gardeners work while you are out. Provide access via a side gate, key safe or key. Make sure the gate is unlocked on the agreed day. If you have a dog, ensure it is secured or that the gardener knows the arrangement.

In rural parts of the Chilterns, access can be more complicated. Long driveways, electric gates and rural locations all need clear instructions. We always ask for what3words or a postcode plus detailed directions for rural clients.

Step 4: Mark Plants You Want Kept

If there are plants you particularly want kept, mark them with a ribbon or label. This prevents the gardener from pulling up self-seeded plants you want to keep. Common confusions include:

• Self-seeded foxgloves (look like weeds in spring)
• Native primroses (often mistaken for weeds)
• Hellebore seedlings (look like weeds around the parent plant)
• Volunteer foxgloves and hollyhocks

A simple coloured ribbon tied around the base of the plant is enough. Tell your gardener what the ribbons mean.

Step 5: Discuss Your Preferences

Tell your gardener how you like the garden to look. This is the most important conversation you will have. Be specific about:

• How high you like the lawn cut (most clients want 25-40mm in summer, 40-50mm in spring and autumn)
• Whether you like a formal or informal look
• Whether you want seed heads left for wildlife (some clients love the look, others find it messy)
• Whether you want leaves left on borders as mulch or removed
• Any plants you do not like (we will not plant them again)
• Any areas you want left undisturbed (wildlife areas, bulbs in grass)
• Whether you want weeds sprayed or hand-pulled

The more specific you are, the better the result. Vague instructions lead to a garden that looks like the gardener's taste, not yours.

Step 6: Set Up a Communication Channel

Agree how you want to communicate with your gardener. WhatsApp is usually best for quick messages and photos. Agree what to do if the gardener spots a problem (pest, disease, broken fence, leak). Most maintenance gardeners will WhatsApp photos of issues they spot during a visit, with a recommendation.

For Chiltern clients, weather-related rescheduling is common. Wet weather stops mowing. High winds stop hedge cutting. A WhatsApp group with your gardener means you know what is happening without having to chase.

Step 7: Agree a Schedule

Most gardens need fortnightly visits from March to October and monthly through winter. Small courtyard gardens can be monthly year-round. Large or formal gardens may need weekly visits in the growing season. See our guide to visit frequency.

Typical maintenance costs in the Chilterns (2026 prices):

• Small garden (up to 100 sqm): 60-100 pounds per fortnightly visit
• Medium garden (100-300 sqm): 100-200 pounds per fortnightly visit
• Large garden (300-1000 sqm): 200-400 pounds per fortnightly visit
• Estate (1000 sqm plus): 400-800 pounds per weekly visit

Common Mistakes

• Not having a clearance first. Trying to maintain an overgrown garden wastes money. Have a clearance, then maintain.
• Vague instructions. "Just keep it tidy" means different things to different people. Be specific.
• Not marking plants to keep. Self-seeded plants look like weeds. Mark them.
• Expecting the gardener to do everything. Tree surgery, lawn renovation and hard landscaping are usually separate. Agree what is included.
• Changing the schedule constantly. Maintenance works best on a regular schedule. Rescheduling constantly makes it hard for the gardener to plan.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need to be home for maintenance visits?

No. Most clients are not home. Provide access via a side gate or key safe, and the gardener will work and leave a note or WhatsApp photos of what was done.

What if I am not happy with the work?

Tell your gardener immediately. Most issues are communication problems, not competence problems. A quick WhatsApp with a photo of what you want changed is usually all it takes.

Can I change the schedule?

Yes, with notice. We ask for 30 days notice to change a regular schedule. One-off reschedules (holidays, weather) can be done with a few days notice.

Get Started with Professional Maintenance

If you are in Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire or Bedfordshire and want to set up professional garden maintenance, send us a WhatsApp with a few photos of your garden and your postcode, and we will aim to respond within 12 to 36 hours, Monday to Sunday.

Further Reading

• How much does regular garden maintenance cost?
• How often should a gardener visit?
• What does a gardener do on a maintenance visit?
• The CGM Method

Sources and citations

This article draws on the following sources. Specific claims are cited inline where relevant.

1. CGM field records (2025-12. Site observations from gardens across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Bedfordshire.
2. Royal Horticultural Society (2024). RHS Gardening Advice and Plant Finder. Available at rhs.org.uk.
3. Met Office (2024). Regional climate averages, South East England. Available at metoffice.gov.uk.
4. British Geological Survey (2024). Soil parent material data for the Chilterns and Thames Valley. Available at bgs.ac.uk.