Posted on

Gardener Challenge Accepted and Delivered!

Turfing job complete with stripy lawn

Our Ed’s Garden Services Gardener, Bob, who runs his business in Horsham was very excited to take on a big challenging lawn transformation project last year. It was a difficult remit in challenging times. However, Bob’s results were outstanding and his customers were delighted.

We invited Bob to tell us about how he tackled the project.

The Background

” My customers bought their property a couple of years ago and its garden had been neglected for ten years or so. Their previous home had a beautiful manicured lawn. It was their dream to recreate that. However, it took an enormous leap of the imagination to believe that this garden could ever look like that.”

Before the gardener turfing job began
The Challenge!

Taking Stock of the Gardener Challenge

“When I first discussed the project with my customers, the garden looked like nothing short of a disaster zone. Tree surgeons had removed a number of dead trees. The garden was full of stumps and a mess of uneven and boggy land. In short, the area was large, the site was in terrible condition and the customers had very high hopes. All in all, a very challenging project!”

“I think what gave me the confidence to take on such a daunting project was the attitude of the customers. When I talked about the different phases we would need to go through to reach their end result, they understood the scale and complexity. I could see that they grasped that it would not be a case of waving a magic wand. I got the clear impression that they had patience for me and my team to work towards the end result that they desperately wanted. Furthermore, I love a challenge and knew that it would take a lot of work but that we would get there. I really wanted to help them to achieve their dream.”

Making Plans

“I sat down with the customers and scoped out the project with them. We would clear the debris and get a mini digger in to level off the ground and tree stumps in the first phase. Then we would put down lots of topsoil in the next phase. Following that. we would lay approximately 750m2 of turf. Finally we would add copious amounts of TLC to coax it to become that lush and stripy show lawn we all had in our heads.”

“And so I was given the mandate, had the motivation ….now my team and I just had to get on with it!”

Gardener Challenge – Off to a Flying Start

“My team and I got off to a brilliant start with the project. We cleared…and built up an impressive log pile for my customer’s wood burner!

Gardener turfing job log pile
An impressive log pile

Then we got the mini-digger in and got down to some serious levelling.

We quickly moved into our next phase and laid more than ten tonnes topsoil.

Gardener Challenge – the Best Laid Plans

And then, abruptly, we were hampered by the COVID lockdown of last March. I can be quite self-critical but even I could see that there is no way we could have anticipated that risk to progress.”

“Whilst we could continue with garden services during the Lockdown, we had to make significant adjustments to how we worked. For example, I couldn’t work closely with my team so would have to do the work on my own. My customer was also happy to get involved whilst adhering to the lockdown rules. We could still make progress but it would be at a slower pace.”

Tenacious Progress

“I found it quite difficult to get turf in the first Lockdown as garden centres were closed. My strategy was to source what I could where and when I could and lay it piecemeal. I found that I could source 60m2 at a time and laid the lawn gradually. I realised that the lawn aftercare would be even more important to mitigate the risk of a patchy lawn.”

Gardener turfing job begins
Gardener Turfing job almost laid
Steady progress was made

Foiled by Fungus

” I finished laying the full lawn. Some patchiness was inevitable at this stage but I knew exactly what to do to sort it out. However, I had not anticipated an emerging fungus issue. This was as a result of the decomposing tree stumps left behind by the tree surgeons. It was a bit of a setback but I addressed the issue swiftly and soon our goal was in sight again.”

Gardener laid turf but still patchy
Inevitable patchiness initially

Gardener Challenge Complete

” We were then challenged by the very dry spell late last spring. We were almost obsessive about our watering programme with the brand new lawn. However, our commitment paid off. Lo and behold, despite all the challenges, by the summertime we had an absolutely glorious green and stripy lawn!”

Turfing job complete with stripy lawn
The end goal!

“My customers were ecstatic with the final result. I achieved my goal on what was already a difficult project but made much more challenging by external circumstances.”

“We are now in lawn maintenance mode. In this phase I have also been planting their borders which will make the garden even more stunning. I planted a whole range of colourful borders and can’t wait to see the plants bloom in springtime. I thoroughly enjoy continuously improving gardens, especially ones as lovely as this has become. “

We love gardens at Ed’s. We love our customers. And we also love challenges. Indeed, we thrive on them. It’s true that we love delighting our customers and we consistently go above and beyond for them. We offer a whole range of gardening services to meet all of your gardening needs. This includes tackling big turfing projects like this to much smaller maintenance tasks and we are enthusiastic about them all. We love to take the problem away so you can just enjoy your garden.

If we can help you with any of your gardening needs, please do get in touch.

Posted on

Lawn mowing…and a lot more besides

Beautifully mowed garden with stunning flowersStunning garden with flowers

The background

Lawn mowing is quite a big thing for Bob Dulieu, our Ed’s Operator in  Horsham. He tends to do a lot of lawn mowing, especially over the summer months. However, with one of Bob’s customers, lawn mowing doesn’t come into his service at all .  It’s actually another of Bob’s skills that has come into play recently! Bob tells all…

The remit (no lawn mowing required)

“I’m very lucky to help to look after a beautiful garden locally. The garden is not only beautiful but is quite large as well. The first time I saw the garden, I could see that a lot of love and hard work had been focused on it.”

“The owners are a lovely couple who have lived in their property for a number of years.  Over the years, the gentleman has spent a great deal of time in his garden. He has always taken great pride in it.  Although  taking care of it was always quite a big commitment, he loved seeing the results of all his hard work.”

“As time moved on, the demands of the garden started to be an issue.  However,  it was a difficult matter as the owner really didn’t want to get out of the driving seat, as it were. The couple really needed some help but it had to be someone the customer could get along well and trust to do exactly what he wanted done with his garden. It would have been heartbreaking for someone to come in and ruin the fruits of all his labours.”

The arrangement

“I was very sensitive about the situation from the outset. As soon as I met the customers, I realised that the garden really meant a lot to them. Letting go was difficult and I needed to really listen to what they wanted from me.”

” We managed to come up with a solution which worked really well. The gentleman wanted to continue to mow the garden on his own and I would work alongside him doing all the rest, exactly to his specification. In effect, we got on really very well.   We have now been doing that for a few years and we have got to know each other quite well. I always find myself looking forward to my time spent working together in the beautiful garden.”

The future

“Quite recently, my customers decided that it was time to bite the bullet and downsize.  There is always the issue of leaving memories behind of a place where you have lived many years.  In this case, it was even worse as there was the love for the garden to deal with as well.”

“My customers confided that, although it had to be the right thing to do, it was a real wrench for the gentleman to have to leave his cherished garden behind and he found it quite upsetting that he wouldn’t be able to see it any more.  I was really quite affected by how upsetting the situation was for him”

Capturing the memories

” I found myself thinking about it quite a bit and then an idea came to me.  In my previous life before Ed’s, I ran a professional photography business some years ago. We specialised in architectural and landscape photography and were one of the first companies to use drones in photography. We were acclaimed for our work and published in two magazines.  I just knew that, given the mandate and the time to photograph it properly, I could do the garden justice and create some beautiful photographs to immortalise it for my client.”

” I was slightly nervous about suggesting it to my client’s wife. Not quite what you expect your gardener to suggest! She was really touched by the idea though and knew that her husband would just love the idea. She thought it would be even more special if we could keep it under wraps and just surprise him with the end result. A conspiracy was born!”

Garden view from a terrace
Garden view from a terrace

Tactics time!

“We plotted together that the customers would be away for a long weekend and I would have a window of opportunity to take my time and take all the photos I needed.  I thoroughly enjoyed the task. It was even more enjoyable due to the fact that I suspected the final product would be much cherished.”

The grand finale

” Having done all the editing work necessary, I sent off my photos and had it made into a really beautiful book.  Then we presented it to my customer and it was such an emotional moment.  To say that the gentleman was completely overwhelmed by the gesture is an understatement.  Even his wife underestimated just how much it would mean to him.”

‘Since then, I have had a number of calls from my customer, saying how appreciative he is and just how much the book means to him”

“It has been a wonderful experience for me as well. Going beyond the call of duty I suppose but the job satisfaction I got from being able to deliver that was just immense.”

Bob's customer's beautiful garden with beautifully mown lawn
Bob’s customer’s beautiful garden

If Bob can help you with any of your garden needs in the Horsham area, please just give us a call…

Posted on

Lawn Mowing – Bob’s earned his stripes

lawn mowing satisfaction

Bob’s Lawn Mowing  – first cut for a brand new lawn

Bob Dulieu, our Ed’s business owner in Horsham, is proud of all his lawn mowing jobs but this one is just a little bit extra-special.

Bob told us why he is so proud of this lawn mowing  job? “That’s because only a matter of months ago, this lovely lush lawn was just a rather scrappy piece of gravel. Hard to believe, isn’t it?”

gravel bed

From gravel to lawn mowing – the remit…

“We went to visit the customer to talk through exactly what they wanted. The customer really didn’t like the gravel bed and wanted something far more colourful.  They were keen to have new lawn laid but only if it could look really good. We were confident that we could deliver in this respect.”

And so, this January (less than four months ago), Bob and his team (including Baloo the dog, Bob’s quality control manager) started work on the garden makeover.

The sequence of events…

preparation for lawn mowing

Bob followed the sequence of events as follows:-

  • First of all, they dug out the  gravel bed.
  • Next they added topsoil and loam
  • Finally…. they carefully returfed the whole area.

The newly laid lawn…

newly laid turf

Luckily, Baloo had been on site throughout to check that everything was being done to the highest standard! 

good quality turf for lawn mowing

Bob was really pleased with the end result. But more importantly, what did the customer think. The customer was thrilled with the work carried out.  They couldn’t believe the transformation and were delighted that Bob’s team were able to make such a difference to their garden. They were very keen for Bob to follow up with the lawn maintenance going forward.

A happy stripy ending…

lawn mowing satisfaction

Bob’s just been back to complete the first mow. He said ” It feels great to see this lawn looking so good.  That’s because we have been responsible for every stage of it. If we hadn’t done the work to such a high standard, the end result could never have looked so good. As they say, the proof is in the pudding. I love my stripes and I think you’ll agree that these ones are the icing on the cake ‘”

The customer is even more delighted with the job now that they have seen the very end result.

And what’s Bob’s job now? “My job is to  keep everything looking just as fantastic going forward!…Baloo will keep me on track of course!”

 

Posted on

Bob’s special seasonal service – Christmas Tree Disposal.

£15 FOR TREES UP TO TEN FEET TALL
ANYTHING BIGGER, JUST GIVE BOB A CALL…

01403 299 375

Christmas just wouldn’t feel like Christmas without a Christmas tree.

There’s nothing like the smell of a real tree to warm the soul. It’s so much fun choosing just the right one, negotiating getting it back home and, of course, the joys of making it look just right.

Fast forward three weeks…..

Falling needles? Lost its lustre? Just feeling a bit ‘over’ Christmas? Want to reclaim your lounge?

Why not just focus on keeping merry and warm and let Bob take away the hassle of disposing of your tree?

£15 FOR TREES UP TO TEN FEET TALL
ANYTHING BIGGER, JUST GIVE BOB A CALL…

01403 299 375

Posted on

The Apprentice Ed’s Garden Operator Style

Ed’s Garden Operators’ Canine Helpers

This is a really busy time of year for an Ed’s Garden Operator. With the milder weather we’ve been having, the grass is still growing.  This means that  there is still mowing to be done. However, the challenges of Autumn (lots of clearing leaves!) and getting all our lovely customers’ gardens in shape for the winter ahead are there too.

We’re not complaining though.  We love it.  Especially when the weather is kind, with bright, crisp Autumn days.

With limited daylight hours, our Garden Operators can do with a bit of help to get on top of their workloads. Indeed, some of their own canine apprentices have been providing an extra set of paws to get the job done.

As everyone knows, we love reviewing performance at Ed’s so we just had to ask our guys how the new recruits are measuring up…

Baloo’s Review!

This is Baloo, a lovely and loyal German Shepherd. She has recently started helping Bob, our Garden Operator in Horsham, to deliver his gardening services.

Bob says, “Well, I’m probably a little bit biased as I’m very fond of Baloo. However,  she is really getting to grips with the challenges of being a sidekick . Nothing is too much trouble for her and she is very versatile in helping out with whatever I need.  She is just great at multi-tasking.”

“Whether it be guarding the van or helping me uproot a somewhat stubborn tree, she is on it. Her focus is amazing and even a rogue squirrel in a garden won’t distract her from the task in hand.  However,   I can see it takes every ounce of her willpower to ignore them!  What can I say apart from I’m really lucky to have her on board.  If she can keep her current level of motivation, she will go very far indeed!”

Monty’s moment of truth!

Another recent recruit is a rather dashing Hungarian Vizsla called Monty. He  lives with Stuart, our Ed’s Garden Operator in rural Norfolk.  Clearly a handsome and delightful chap but we asked Stuart if he could sum up how Monty is cutting the mustard.

Looking thoughtful, Stuart says “ Well, it all started off brilliantly in the summer when Monty was very keen to spring out of bed and get to work. Sadly, since the cooler days have kicked in, it has all changed. Monty does a quick weather check before he decides whether he is going to grace us with his company or just stay at home snuggling beside the Aga. It really isn’t good enough.”

“Monty is still a very young fellow but I feel that his current commitment level could be better. I am out in all weathers but Monty…well, he just doesn’t seem to be made of the same stuff.  In all honesty,  he seems to be a bit of a fair weather gardener.”

“If only he could get his work ethic right, he would go far in this business.  His  interpersonal skills are second to none and everyone who meets him tends to think he is wonderful. It’s not fair really. I toil away, day in, day out, without as much as a grumble and yet Monty is always the one who wins the popularity vote hands down with my customers!”

 

Posted on

Ed’s Garden Maintenance Welcomes Bob

Bob Dulieu Garden Maintenance Services in Horsham

Bob Dulieu has recently joined Ed’s Garden Maintenance to service customers in the Horsham area. Bob was previously Managing Director of a risk management consultancy and is excited to be running his own Ed’s Garden Maintenance.

Bob is now fully up and running and delivering our core Garden Services of Lawn Mowing, Hedge Trimming, Jet Washing, Garden Tidy Ups and Garden Clearances. Please get in touch if you think Bob can help you get your garden in shape to make the most of Summer.