Hedge and lawn cutting

Professional hedge and lawn services ensure that your outdoor space remains a functional extension of your home. Whether it is a seasonal "big prune" or a fortnightly maintenance visit, hiring an expert saves hours of physical labour and ensures that green waste is handled responsibly.

What Does the Work Involve?

• Site Assessment: Checking for hazards such as hidden stones, pet waste, or garden ornaments, and identifying bird nests or protected species.
• Hedge Trimming: Reducing the height and width of hedges using professional-grade petrol or cordless trimmers to achieve straight, level lines.
• Lawn Mowing: Cutting grass to a uniform height suited to the season, typically leaving it longer in summer to resist drought.
• Edging and Strimming: Using a line trimmer to tidy around fence posts, walls, and flower beds where a mower cannot reach.
• Waste Management: Collecting "arisings" (clippings), raking borders, and using a leaf blower to clear paths and driveways.
• Disposal: Bagging green waste for the homeowner’s bin or removing it from the site for commercial composting.

Typical Costs

Most UK gardeners charge either by the hour or a fixed price based on the garden size. Prices vary depending on your location, with London and the South East typically seeing a 20-30% premium.

Factors that increase the price include difficult access (e.g., carrying equipment through a terrace house), working on steep slopes, and the volume of waste generated from overgrown hedges.

How Long Does It Take?

• Small suburban lawn and hedge: 45 minutes to 1.5 hours.
• Average semi-detached garden: 2 to 3 hours for a thorough tidy.
• Large detached property: 4 to 6 hours, often requiring a team of two.
• First-time "jungle" clearance: 1 to 2 full days depending on density.

DIY or Professional?

While mowing a small, flat lawn is a straightforward DIY task, hedge cutting often requires working at height and using powerful machinery. Professional gardeners use industrial-grade sharp blades that provide a cleaner cut, preventing the "die-back" and browning often seen with blunt domestic tools.

Hiring a professional is particularly advisable for tall hedges where ladders or long-reach poles are required, as this carries significant safety risks for the inexperienced.

Choosing the Right Tradesperson

• Check Insurance: Ensure they hold Public Liability insurance (minimum £1 million) to cover damage to your property or neighbours.
• Waste License: If they are removing green waste, they must hold a valid Upper Tier Waste Carrier License from the Environment Agency.
• Equipment: Ask if they use petrol or battery-powered tools; battery tools are quieter and better for early morning starts in residential areas.

Questions to ask:

• Do you charge by the hour or a fixed price for the whole job?
• How do you handle green waste, and is the disposal fee included?
• Are you comfortable working around pets or specific garden features?
• What is your policy if it rains heavily on the scheduled day?

UK Regulations

• Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981: It is an offence to intentionally damage or destroy the nest of any wild bird while it is in use or being built. Most gardeners will refuse to cut hedges between March and August if nests are present.
• High Hedges (Part 8 of the Anti-social Behaviour Act 2003): If your hedge exceeds 2 metres in height and affects a neighbour's "reasonable enjoyment" of their property, they can complain to the council.
• Waste Duty of Care: Homeowners are legally responsible for ensuring their waste is disposed of by a licensed carrier.

Common Problems

• Scalping the lawn: Cutting grass too short in one go can kill the roots. A professional will never remove more than one-third of the grass blade height at once.
• Cutting during nesting season: Failing to check for birds can lead to legal fines and stop work immediately.
• Improper disposal: Fly-tipping green waste is illegal; always ensure your gardener uses a legitimate waste site.
• Blunt blades: Using dull trimmers tears the leaves rather than cutting them, leaving hedges susceptible to fungal diseases.

Frequently Asked Questions

How often should my lawn be mowed?

In the UK, fortnightly mows are standard from March to October. During the peak of spring (May/June), weekly mows may be required to keep the grass manageable and healthy.

Do gardeners work in the rain?

Light drizzle is usually fine, but most professionals will avoid mowing in heavy rain. Cutting wet grass can smear the soil, clog machinery, and result in an uneven, messy finish.

Can you cut a hedge back to the wood?

It depends on the species. Deciduous hedges like Beech or Hornbeam can handle hard pruning, but many conifers (like Leylandii) will not regrow from old wood if cut back too far.

What is the best time of year to trim hedges?

Formal hedges usually need two trims: one in early summer and another in autumn. Always ensure the "main" trim happens outside of the peak bird nesting season (March to August).

Do I need to be home for the gardener?

Generally, no, provided the gardener has clear access to the garden and any pets are kept indoors. Most regular maintenance clients provide a side gate key or code.