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Quick Answer
Restoring an overgrown garden happens in five stages: assess, clear, repair, replant, maintain. For a typical 100 square metre family garden, the full process takes 5 to 10 working days spread over 2 to 4 weeks, and costs between 1,000 and 3,500 pounds depending on what is involved.
The most important thing is to do the work in the right order. Clearing before you know what you want, or replanting before the soil is sorted, wastes time and money.
Stage 1: Assess the Garden
Take photos before you start
Before you cut anything, photograph the garden from every angle. You will be amazed how useful these photos are later, both for showing the transformation and for understanding what was there before.
Wait a full season if you can
If you have just moved in and the garden is overgrown, wait one full growing season before clearing if possible. Many plants that look like weeds in spring turn out to be treasured perennials by mid-summer. We have seen clients pay to dig up plants that turned out to be expensive specimens like peonies or hellebores.
If waiting is not practical, mark anything you are unsure about with a coloured ribbon and leave it standing through the clearance.
Identify the keepers
Walk the garden and tag anything you want to keep:
- Mature trees and large shrubs (these are expensive to replace)
- Established hedges that just need a cut
- Specimen plants like mature roses, magnolias, wisteria
- Any plant you recognise and want to keep
Tag these with bright ribbon or paint. Make sure anyone working in the garden knows what the tags mean.
Check for invasive species
Look out for giant hogweed and Himalayan balsam. These are controlled weeds that require specialist treatment. If you find either, do not cut it or dig it up. Fragments as small as 1cm can regrow into new plants. You need a specialist contractor who is a member of the Property Care Association.
Also check for schedule 9 invasive plants listed under the Wildlife and Countryside Act, including rhododendron ponticum in woodland settings. See the RHS invasive plants guidance.
Check for nesting birds
If you are doing the work between March and August, check all shrubs and hedges for nesting birds before cutting. See our article on when to cut hedges for the legal position.
Stage 2: Clear the Garden
Start with the big stuff
Take out large unwanted trees and shrubs first. This opens up the space and makes the rest of the work easier. Small trees (under 5 metres) can be felled by a competent gardener. Larger trees need a qualified tree surgeon with insurance.
Stumps can be ground out with a stump grinder, which we hire in for around 150 per day. Alternatively, treat the cut stump with a glyphosate-based stump killer to prevent regrowth.
Cut back brambles and ivy
Brambles are the most common overgrowth problem. Cut the stems at ground level with loppers or a brush cutter. Then dig out the root crowns with a mattock or spade. Leaving the roots means regrowth within months.
Ivy climbing into trees should be cut at the base. The upper growth will die and fall off over a year or two. Pulling live ivy out of trees damages the bark.
Strip the weeds
For ground covered in weeds, the approach depends on what is there:
- Annual weeds: hoe them off and leave on the surface to dry
- Perennial weeds like bindweed, couch grass, ground elder: dig out every root. Any fragment left will regrow
- Nettles and docks: dig out the long tap roots
- Moss on paths and patios: pressure wash or treat with a moss killer
Remove the waste
This is often the slowest and most expensive part. Options:
- Hire a skip: 200 to 400 for a 6 yard skip. Good for mixed waste including soil and rubble.
- Hippobag: 150 to 250 for a megabag, collected when full. Good for green waste only.
- Green waste bin: cheap but slow. Only works for small amounts.
- Professional waste collection: we charge 140 to 200 per tonne including transport and disposal.
Deal with the soil
Once the garden is clear, you will have bare soil. This is the right time to improve it. Add a 5cm layer of compost or well rotted manure and dig it in to the top 20cm. On heavy clay, add horticultural grit as well. On sandy soil, add extra organic matter to hold moisture.
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Stage 3: Repair the Hard Landscaping
Check fences and boundaries
Now the garden is clear, you can see the fences. Replace any rotten posts and panels. Treat timber with preservative. Concrete posts last forever but cost more.
Repair paths and patios
Lift and relay any uneven paving. Pressure wash slippery surfaces. Re-point joints that have crumbled. See our pressure washing service for what this involves.
Check drainage
Look for areas of standing water after rain. These indicate drainage problems. Solutions include installing land drains, raising the soil level, or planting moisture-loving plants like willows or dogwoods in the wet patch.
Service or replace sheds and outbuildings
Old sheds often have rotting floors and roofs. Decide whether to repair or replace. Asbestos cement roofs on old sheds need specialist removal.
Stage 4: Replant
Have a plan
Before buying any plants, sketch out what you want. Mark the position of paths, beds, lawn, hedges and specimen trees. Note the sun and shade areas. Note the soil type. A simple plan saves money and prevents impulse buys that do not fit.
Choose the right plants for the soil
On the chalky soils of the Chilterns, choose plants that thrive in alkaline conditions: lavender, rosemary, clematis, alliums, beech and yew. On heavy clay, choose moisture tolerant plants: hydrangeas, hostas, ferns, dogwoods. See our plant library for detailed recommendations.
Plant in the right season
The best planting time is autumn (October to December) when the soil is still warm and roots can establish before summer. Spring planting is fine but requires more watering. Avoid planting in summer if possible.
Plant in drifts
Plant in groups of 3, 5 or 7 of the same variety. A drift of 5 salvias looks much better than 5 single different plants. Plan for the mature size of each plant and leave enough space.
Use ground cover
Plant ground cover plants like hardy geraniums, bergenia or epimedium between larger specimens. These suppress weeds and reduce maintenance.
Mulch after planting
A 5cm mulch of bark or compost around new plants suppresses weeds and retains moisture. Keep the mulch away from plant stems.
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Stage 5: Maintain
Watering
New plants need regular watering for the first growing season. A good soak once a week is better than a light sprinkle every day. Water in the morning or evening to reduce evaporation.
Feeding
Feed in spring with a balanced fertiliser. Avoid over-feeding which produces soft growth that is vulnerable to pests and frost.
Pruning
Each plant has its own pruning requirements. See our plant library for the pruning times and methods for each species we recommend.
Weeding
Keep on top of weeds for the first two years. Once plants establish and fill out, weeds are much less of a problem.
Regular maintenance visits
Most restored gardens benefit from a regular maintenance visit. See our guide to maintenance costs for what this should cost.
Time and Cost Estimates
| Garden size | Clearance | Repairs | Replanting | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small courtyard 30 sqm | 300 to 600 | 200 to 500 | 200 to 500 | 700 to 1,600 |
| Family garden 100 sqm | 600 to 1,500 | 500 to 1,500 | 500 to 1,500 | 1,600 to 4,500 |
| Large garden 300 sqm | 1,500 to 4,000 | 1,000 to 3,000 | 1,000 to 3,000 | 3,500 to 10,000 |
These are rough guides. A proper quote requires a site visit. Get a quote
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Skimming on clearance
Trying to save money by not digging out weed roots is a false economy. The weeds come back twice as strong within months, and you have to do the work again.
Planting before improving soil
Plants grow badly in poor soil. Spend a day improving the soil before any planting and the plants will reward you for years.
Planting too densely
It is tempting to fill the garden immediately. Plants need space to grow. A properly planted garden looks sparse for the first year and fills out over 3 to 5 years.
Ignoring the seasons
Some work has to be done at the right time. Hedge cutting during nesting season is illegal if birds are nesting. Planting in summer droughts kills new plants. Plan the work around the seasons.
Final Thoughts
Restoring an overgrown garden is one of the most rewarding things you can do. The transformation from jungle to garden over a few weeks is dramatic, and a well restored garden will give pleasure for decades.
The key is doing the work in the right order, using the right plants for the soil, and not skimping on the groundwork. A few days of careful preparation saves years of frustration.
If you have an overgrown garden you would like help with, get in touch. We can do the whole job or just the parts you do not want to do yourself.
Before clearing mature gardens, inspect for nesting birds and protected species. Old hedge bases and bramble clumps often shelter hedgehogs and other wildlife.
Put this advice into practice
Use the relevant CGM tool or follow a related guide, then send us a few photos if you would like a tailored plan.
Sources and citations
This article draws on the following sources. Specific claims are cited inline where relevant.
- CGM field records (2024-09. Site observations from gardens across Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire, Berkshire and Bedfordshire.
- Royal Horticultural Society (2024). RHS Gardening Advice and Plant Finder. Available at rhs.org.uk.
- Met Office (2024). Regional climate averages, South East England. Available at metoffice.gov.uk.
- British Geological Survey (2024). Soil parent material data for the Chilterns and Thames Valley. Available at bgs.ac.uk.