maintaining your garden

8. Garden

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8. Maintaining your garden

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Maintaining your garden

This is a quick guide for tenants and leaseholders to maintain their own garden.

IntroductionThis is a quick guide for tenants and leaseholders to maintain their own garden. A summary of what is included in the grounds maintenance contract for open plan greenspaces can be obtained from your area housing office, contact details can be found in the ‘Accessing our services’ section of this handbook on page 10.

GrassMost gardens have at least one area of grass lawn. Sometimes they will have been well kept by a previous tenant and will only need regular mowing. Others will have been neglected and may need a lot of work to get them in good condition.

Remember – if you are going to use an electric mower, make sure you use a circuit breaker with it to reduce the risk of an electric shock.

Is your lawn overgrown or in poor condition?

• Even when a lawn contains a lot of weeds and coarse grasses, there should still be enough lawn grass to give a good effect when cut.

• Using a strimmer or shears, cut the entire grass down to 50-75mm.

• Using a rake (springbok or ordinary), rake all dead and cut material off the lawn. Dispose of the dead material in your green wheelie bin or in bin bags.

• Using a mower, cut the grass to the mower’s maximum height.

• Inspect the lawn for weeds. Remove as many as possible by digging them out with a long thin trowel, an ordinary knife, or by using a ‘spot weed-killer’. Always check the instructions on any weed-killers to make sure that they’re the right one for the job and that they’re safe to use near children and pets. To remove dandelions without digging into the lawn, cut off all of the leaves and cut a cross into the fleshy part of the tap root. Put a little salt into the cut and this will kill the dandelion.

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To avoid accidents, do not allow children or pets to play on the lawn whilst it’s being mowed.

• Once or twice between May to July, use a lawn feed such as Toplawn.

• Sometime in late September or October, remove any weeds as above and apply an autumn lawn dressing such as autumn Toplawn.

• Two weeks later, spike the surface of the lawn with a garden fork and apply a top dressing; this is usually sharp sand mixed with fertilisers and is available at most garden centres. On patches of thin grass or bare patches, mix grass seed with the top dressing at a rate of a good handful per square metre.

• The lawn will take about one year to re-establish so don’t despair if there’s no immediate improvement. It might look quite unsightly before growing back and becoming a lawn again. Try to keep children and animals off it while it’s recovering.

How do you keep your lawn in good condition?

• It’s a good idea to remove any litter or dog excrement from the lawn before you mow it.

• To avoid accidents, do not allow children or pets to play on the lawn whilst it’s being mowed.

• Mow the grass at least two or three times a month during the main growing season, which is usually April to September.

• Once a month, rake the lawn before mowing as this sets up the grass for the mower blade and helps to break up the ‘mat’ or dead grass on the surface of the soil. Raking, or ‘scarifying’, will also help to stop weeds from spreading through the lawn.

• Mowing should be done at a steady walking pace in forward motion. Don’t drag the mower backwards and forwards.

• Trim the edges of the lawn using a strimmer or shears. Once or twice a year, you may need to re-cut the edge of the lawn using an edging iron and, for a really straight edge, cut against a long piece of wood.



Hedges come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The most common hedges are Privet (evergreen) or Hawthorn (thorny and deciduous).

• If you use a mower without a grass box, gather up most of the loose grass so that it doesn’t blow around in the wind or get trampled into your house.

• Dispose of grass cuttings in your green wheelie bin or in bin bags.

Don’t forget: if you use an electric mower, use a circuit breaker!

HedgesHedges sometimes form the boundary between gardens so they must not be removed without permission.

Where a hedge forms a boundary between neighbouring gardens, you should agree with your neighbour(s) as to who is going to maintain the other side of your hedge. Similarly, you may agree to maintain your side of a neighbour’s hedge.

Hedges come in all sorts of shapes and sizes. The most common hedges are Privet (evergreen) or Hawthorn (thorny and deciduous), both of which can be heavily pruned at any time of year and will grow back quite quickly. Leyllandii has become quite popular for fast-growing hedges, but these need frequent trimming to prevent them becoming too wide and too high to be manageable. There are regulations about the height of hedges, particularly Leyllandii; your Neighbourhood Housing Officer will advise you about this.

The best time to cut hedges depends on the species, native deciduous hedges (Hawthorn, Beech, Hornbeam) attracts a greater variety of birds during nesting season usually in August. Regarding more evergreen species (Privet, Leylandii) they can be cut on a more regular basis as they are faster growing and do not attract the variety of birds and wildlife, as the more native deciduous species.

Using a mechanical hedge cutter (petrol or electric) for a large hedge, or hand shears for a small hedge, cut the sides from bottom to top so that the bottom is wider than the top. This will allow an even distribution of light and so help to keep the hedge in good condition.



Remember, if your hedge forms a boundary with a neighbour’s garden, you must get permission from your neighbour before you start any work.

Using secateurs, cut out any small stems that might not be growing in the right way or may be causing some ‘overcrowding’.

Remove any litter, leaves or weeds from the base of the hedge as these can prevent rainwater penetrating the soil and reaching the roots. Using a garden fork, lightly break up the soil at the base of the hedge.

If the hedge has become very overgrown, most of the growth will be at the top. This will restrict the amount of light available to the bottom of the hedge and it will become top heavy with very little growth, and perhaps holes forming, at the base of the hedge. The holes can be filled by either:

• training existing stems to grow back into the gap (using garden twine or wire will help to grow the stem in the right direction); or

• planting young cuttings at the base of the hedge if there is enough light for them to thrive but they will need regular watering.

Is your hedge overgrown?

Remember, if your hedge forms a boundary with a neighbour’s garden, you must get permission from your neighbour before you start any work. If your neighbour refuses to co-operate, speak to your Neighbourhood Housing Officer.

• Trim both sides then cut the hedge to the desired height.

• On one side only, cut back to the main stems of the hedge. Leave the other side to maintain privacy.

• Continue to trim the hedge every two weeks.

• The following year, repeat one to three above for the other side of the hedge.

• After the second year, the hedge should look good and have

healthy growth.



Pruning should be done with pruning shears or secateurs as they allow you to make clean and accurate cuts through tough stems.

ShrubsShrubs can be grown directly into the garden or in pots / tubs but they still need the same kind of attention. They come in a variety of shapes, sizes and types but they will all need pruning at least once a year to maintain the shape and size most suitable for their location.

Pruning should be done with pruning shears or secateurs as they allow you to make clean and accurate cuts through tough stems.

What time of year is best?

This depends on the type of plant, in other words whether it’s evergreen or deciduous, and when it comes into flower. There are generally three rules as follows:

Flowering before mid-summer on shoots that have appeared during the previous year. These shrubs should be pruned after flowering to give the following year’s growth a full season to ripen and flower again.

Flowering after mid-summer on growth during the current season. These shrubs should be pruned in winter and spring as they flower later in the season on the new growth.

Evergreens should be pruned in mid to late spring to give the new shoots a chance to develop without the danger from hard frost.

Useful tips

• Aways use clean sharp tools.• Cut to just above the node on an outward facing bud.• Try to create an open centre and a balanced shape.• On variegated plants, remove any growth that has reverted

back to one colour.• The first things to prune are: • dead material; • diseased material; • unwanted growth; and • any crossing stems.• Always try to cut on an angle as this will stop rainwater

from settling on the cut and reduce the chances of disease infecting the fresh cut.



Before planting, add a slow-release fertiliser to encourage healthy root growth and green growth.

• After pruning one shrub, make sure that you clean the tools properly to stop any disease spreading to the next plant.

• Do not compost any diseased ‘prunings’ or you may spread the disease to other plants.

Flower beds

Planting and maintaining

If you’re digging over a bed or creating a new bed, it is very likely that you will disturb dormant weed seeds that will then start to grow. Because of this, it is best to leave the bed for a few weeks after digging so that you can remove any weeds that grow. Alternatively, apply a suitable weed-killer to clear the area. If possible, use a barrier to stop people walking over the area. Remember that weed-killer should not be used near any water supply or where children might come into contact with it.

Before planting, add a slow-release fertiliser, such as Growmore, to encourage healthy root growth and green growth.

Before the plants come into flower and during flowering, apply a liquid feed, such as Miracle Gro, once a week as this will encourage the plant to flower.

It is a good idea to add organic matter, such as horse manure, once a year to help replace the nutrients in the soil. Make sure that this is well rotted with the minimal amount of straw. This is because straw has a high-carbon content and draws nitrogen out of the soil to break it down. This could lead to nutrient deficiency and poor plant health.

Regularly ‘dead head’ the plant, in other words, remove flowers that are past their best. This will encourage more flowering and help stop seed heads forming.

Control of pests

Before using any pesticides to control common garden pests, consider the following:

Slugs

• Create a beer trap by filling a shallow container, for example,



Remember that weed-killer should not be used near any water supply or where children might come into contact with it.

margarine tub, with beer and leave it in a part of the garden where slugs will be attracted to the beer, crawl in and drown.

Greenfly

• Dilute one part of washing-up liquid to 40 parts of water and spray it on to plants affected by the flies (aphids).

• Close to the affected plants, put in plants that attract natural predators, for example, lavender attracts ladybirds that feed on greenfly.

Tubs and basketsIf you have a very small garden area or back yard but you like to see a lot of colour, tubs and baskets are a good way of filling the space. They also give you flexibility to make frequent changes or maintain consistency. Before choosing the plants, map out the possible positions in the garden so that they will get the right amount of sun.

Tubs – useful tips

• Make sure that tubs are frost proof if they are going to be left out all year.

• Good preparation of tubs, for example, drainage material and good compost, will ensure that plants have a longer life.

• Make sure that the tub is the correct shape and size for the type of plant.

• Make sure that you can get a regular water supply to all tubs.• For larger tubs and plants that may need to be moved, invest

in a stand on wheels.• Aromatic plants and herbs, such as lavender and rosemary,

grow very well in tubs.

Baskets – useful tips

• Make sure that the brackets are securely fixed and adequate for the size of the basket.

• Avoid hanging the baskets over footpaths where they might cause an obstruction or hazard.

• Make full use of walls and fences in the garden and the house.

• Use a good quality compost in the basket.• Make sure that you get a regular water supply to all baskets.



Encouraging birds, mammals and insects into your garden, helps to preserve wildlife in the UK, and the control of garden pests by encouraging natural predators.

• For low maintenance and consistent appearance throughout the seasons, plant small evergreens such as ivy and miniature conifers, especially in baskets hung onto a fence or garden wall.

Low maintenance gardens

If you enjoy the outdoor space of a garden but don’t want to spend too much time on maintenance, you might prefer to avoid grass, hedges and flowerbeds and consider the following alternatives:

• Gravel and / or paving slabs come in a variety of colours and provide a good base for tubs. They need little maintenance after the initial investment of being well laid onto a properly prepared base.

• Wood decking has become very popular for patios and is easy to keep clean and tidy.

• Fencing, instead of hedge, is initially expensive but needs much less maintenance. Remember that you need permission to remove any hedges that form a boundary and it’s worth talking to your neighbour(s) before you decide to make the change.

Attracting wildlife to your gardenEncouraging birds, mammals and insects into your garden, helps to preserve wildlife in the UK, and the control of garden pests by encouraging natural predators.

Creating spaces for wildlife to live and nest in is one way of making animals feel at home in your garden. Creating variety helps to provide habitats for different animals. Insects in particular help keep your garden healthy - they pollinate plants, eat other insects and provide food for birds. Here are some simple ideas that can help:

• leaving rotting logs in a corner of your garden can make a home for hedgehogs and insects;

• drilling holes in pruned branches and logs provides insects with shelter and nesting space;

• wildlife thrives when it isn’t disturbed, so if possible have an area of garden that you just leave alone - overgrown areas can provide places for animals such as hedgehogs or even foxes to rest or hibernate;



Think about wildlife when buying your plants, or deciding what you will let grow in your garden - choose ones that attract and sustain a variety of insects and animals.

• bird and bat boxes encourage creatures to nest and rest in your gaden;

• attract birds to your garden by offering them food using feeders and tables - make sure you keep these away from places that cats can get to, or put them near prickly bushes to deter furry predators;

• clean bird tables regularly and don’t leave food out to rot;• keep feeding regularly - birds come to rely on the food you

provide and can suffer if they waste energy flying to find food that isn’t there;

• choose plants that flower and produce seeds or fruit at different times of the year, so that insects, birds and animals can have food in all seasons; and

• birds need to bathe frequently to keep their feathers in trim so even a small bird bath can be hugely valuable for attracting birds.

Think about wildlife when buying your plants, or deciding what you will let grow in your garden - choose ones that attract and sustain a variety of insects and animals.

For example:

• sunflower seeds provide food for birds once the flowers have died;

• buddleia is great for butterflies and bees;• moths will come to red valerian, honeysuckle and night-

flowering stock;• native ivy is one of the best wildlife plants of all, benefiting

birds, mammals, butterflies, bees, hoverflies and other useful insects;

• dog rose - finches enjoy their hips;• primrose - when they flower in spring, they produce nectar

which attract finches;• marigold - nectar for insects and a good choice if combined

with a vegetable patch;• lavender - smells great and bees love the flowers, finches

love the seeds; and• daisy - their flowers attract butterflies.

Pesticides, which are designed to kill and control pests, weeds and fungi, can also kill or deter the wildlife you want to attract to your garden - including the natural helpers that eat pests, so:

• try to avoid using chemicals wherever possible; and• make sure pesticides or hazardous chemicals from paints

and finishes don’t get into ponds as they can poison water life.



Garden tools

Useful tips

Tools can be hired or bought from hire shops, garden centres and hardware shops or can be picked up at car boot sales, flea markets or second-hand shops. Do not buy second-hand electrical items such as mowers or hedge trimmers unless you are satisfied that they are in good working condition, and always use them with a circuit breaker.

The price of tools will vary a lot so don’t spend a fortune on them if you’re not going to use them much or you’ve nowhere to store them securely.

Cleaning tools after use will lengthen their life and improve their effectiveness.

Common tools include:

• loppers;• rakes - scarifying, springbok, garden;• bow saw;• edging Iron;• spade;• forks;• strimmer;• shears - lawn and pruning;• mower;• trowel and fork; and• dibber.

Communal gardensSome properties, like low rise flats, have communal or shared gardens where they are maintained by Stockport Homes. If you live in a property where you have access to a communal garden you will pay a service charge within your weekly rent to cover the cost of the garden area being maintained. If you want to know what this work includes, please contact your area housing office for further details.

Do not buy second-hand electrical items such as mowers or hedge trimmers unless you are satisfied that they are in good working condition.



Stockport Homes wants customers to use the green spaces and gardens we provide and we understand that whilst we maintain these, many customers also carry out their own garden maintenance, such as hanging baskets or planting tubs to make the garden more pleasing. Whilst we encourage this please bear in mind the following:

• Do not plant any tubs on lawned areas as this will prevent the area being mowed.

• Do not create any garden features without first speaking to your Neighbourhood Housing Officer. They can ensure that any work you want to carry out will not affect or hinder the gardeners.

• If you use garden furniture, please be aware that this is your property and you must move it before any gardeners are due to visit the area to carry out grounds maintenance works.

Commonly used termsPlant node: The place on a stem where new buds are found. Have a look or feel down the stem and where you see or feel a line around the stem, this is the node. When pruning, try to cut about 6mm (1/4 inch) above the node.

Variegated: This is when two-plants of a single colour are crossed to make one plant with two-colour leaves, usually green and yellow. If parts of the plant appear in a single colour, it means the plant has started to revert to a single colour. This growth should be removed to maintain the variegated leaves and growth.

Open centre: This means to prune the growth in the centre of the plant to allow enough light to reach the remaining growth and produce a healthy plant.

Balanced shape: Stand back from the plant and have a look at the overall shape; try to imagine the shape you want. Start to prune the plant, but keep standing back to see what shape you are creating. When the pruning is finished, it should look balanced and not lop-sided.

Organic matter: This refers to horse manure and it is available from some garden centres or local stables.

Tap root: This is a singular root system, such as a carrot or parsnip. A tap root looks exactly the same but is a dirty white. Dandelions are weeds with a tap root.

The price of tools will vary a lot so don’t spend a fortune on them if you’re not going to use them much or you’ve nowhere to store them securely.



More gardening advice and information• Local libraries have a section on gardening books.• The Internet provides a wide range of information. • Some libraries have computers that you can use to access

the Internet.• Flea markets and second hand book shops are good

places to pick up cheap gardening books or you can order magazines from the newsagent.

• Visit your local garden centre and ask for advice or for any free leaflets that may be available.

• Talk to neighbours who are already keen gardeners. You will probably find that they are only too happy to help and may also provide you with young plants or seeds that are surplus to their requirement.

• Join a gardening club or allotment society.• Think about taking a short course that could improve your

gardening knowledge (see Stockport Homes’ Free Skills for Life courses).

Local libraries have a section on gardening books. Some libraries have computers that you can use to access the Internet.



Month Type of Work NotesJanuary Cover over any plants that might be killed by

frost or move them into a shed. Remove weeds or other dead plants from flower beds and turn over the soil with a fork or spade.

February Trim any overgrown hedges, bushes, shrubs or trees before the birds start to nest.

March Mow lawns for first time if weather permits. If necessary, apply weed-killer or ‘Feed and Weed’. Edge the lawns.

April Growing season for grass, hedges and shrubs begins so regular maintenance starts. Patch lawns by spreading grass seed if necessary.

May Prepare hanging baskets and tubs for the summer season.

June Hedges and shrubs may need trimming but look out for birds’ nests still in use.

July Make sure that tubs and baskets are watered every day. BBQ season – consider your neighbours!

August Make sure that tubs and baskets are watered every day. BBQ season – consider your neighbours!

School holidays mean that lawns might suffer. Plenty of time to repair them in September!

September Hedges and shrubs may need trimming again. Edge the lawns and repair any damage from children.

October Remove all ‘annuals’ that have finished flowering. Turn over soil with fork and plant winter bulbs. Lawns might have a final cut.

November andDecember

If you have trees in your garden, this is a good time to do any cutting back. Time to take stock of what your garden looks like now and how you might want it to look next year. Gardening books and tools might go on your Christmas present list.

Calendar of common tasks