Transforming Gardens is the name of Jack’s game

Transforming Gardens – The Background

Transforming gardens is at the very core of Jack Bayford’s gardening business. Jack runs his Ed’s gardening business in Hitchin. Before joining Ed’s Jack had a career as a professional groundsman for a premiership football team. Jack says “Although it was always my plan to run my own show, my formative years installed a passion in me for delivering above and beyond. Only the absolute best would do in my previous job and that is something that I have brought to my own Ed’s business. I treat every job like my whole reputation depends on it. I think it is the only way to be. The payback for that dedication is having really happy customers. I get a true kick out of that.”

We asked Jack to give us an example of a recent garden transformation. Here is his story…

Transforming Gardens – The Job

“This job was quite a sensitive one. My customer had very recently lost his mother and the garden of her well-loved home had fallen into disarray as she had spent her final days in a nursing home. She had been a keen gardener when able and, in later years, loved nothing more than sitting in her conservatory watching the birds feed and bathe in her garden. My customer said that it made him sad to see her pride and joy in such a mess. Furthermore, my customer lived some way away from his mother’s home and we needed to discuss the details and access remotely. Without due care, this could have ended up being really impersonal.”

Jack’s approach

“I made sure to call my customer at the outset to have a good chat about his requirements. I then went out to view the garden and some helpful neighbours gave me access. Immediately I could see that it was quite a full-on job. The garden wasn’t huge but there were both front and back gardens to tackle. Furthermore, both had become very overgrown and it was difficult to see the condition of the lawns underneath. However, I was confident that I could restore some former glory with a bit of TLC.”

Communication is key

“Consequently, my first step was to share my thoughts in detail with my customer. I explained exactly what the job would entail, how I would go about it in steps and how much it would cost.” My customer was very appreciative of me laying things out so clearly. He was very happy for me to go ahead and he hadn’t even met me.”

Putting plans into motion

“This was how the garden looked before”.

“And this was how it looked after my efforts…”

“I love taking ‘before and after’ photos for my own job satisfaction. However, in this case they were also a very important part of keeping my customer in the loop.”

Happy Endings

“I was really happy with how the job turned out. However, more importantly my customer was delighted with the end result. He said that it brought him peace of mind at a time when he had so many other things to think about. The icing on the cake was when he said that he had called the neighbours to thank them for the access arrangements. They had commented on my professionalism and what a pleasant chap I was. Every gardener loves a compliment!”

If Jack can help you with any of your gardening needs, big or small, please do get in touch.

30th June 202230th June 2022

Unique Gardening jobs

Tim’s Latest Challenge

Unique gardening jobs are a key part of Ed’s. Ask an Ed’s Gardener and they will tell you that no two days are ever the same. Gardening jobs can vary greatly from mowing large lawns to delivering mini-projects with a very specific remit.

Tim runs his Ed’s business in Taunton and always enjoys meeting his customers’ needs. Tim thrives on the challenge of different types of jobs. He has recently completed a transformation of a new build front garden. This is what Tim has to say about it…

Unique Gardening Jobs – The Background

“One of the things I love about Ed’s is the variety of my work. You never quite know what a customer is going to want doing. I enjoy the challenge of that. This recent job was the front garden of a new build house. The turf that had been laid by the housebuilder was not of a very good quality and, although shrubs had been planted, it had all been done in quite a haphazard way. Furthermore, as it was the front garden and visible to all, the owner felt that the space really impacted on the look of their house.”

Unique Gardening Jobs – The Plan

“I had a good chat with the customer as there were clearly a range of options from which they could choose. However, it became clear that, rather than fill up the space with lots more greenery, the customer preferred a clean-cut look that was visually pleasing but also really low maintenance. The maintenance aspect is a very important consideration when deciding on the best course of action. And so, following a good chat, we charted our course of action. Consequently, we were going to remove everything, put down a membrane and lay bark. We would have a few specifically chosen plants to grow in the space. And so, to work…”

The End Result

“My customer was really happy with how it all turned out. They said it was exactly what they wanted. It looked good and it was very low maintenance. A good result all round!”

Indeed, if you would like some help sorting out your own garden, Tim would be very happy to help. Please do get in touch.

10th May 202210th May 2022

Ed’s All-round Gardeners

From the Garden to the Cricket Field

Ed’s all-round gardeners is a term that generally describes us well. No garden maintenance job is too big or too small. We are happy to turn our hands to a whole range of different gardening services. We provide all of the following services:-

mowing,
hedge cutting,
patio washing,
tidy-ups
garden clearances.

Ed’s All-round Gardeners – Community Spirit

However, Guy Lilford, our Ed’s gardener in Maidenhead (West) takes being an all-rounder to a whole new level. Guy is a very experienced Ed’s gardener who provides a whole range of gardening services to his loyal customer base. Many have been customers for a long time and he has very good relationships with him. Guy’s gardening business fits very well with the satisfaction he gets from being actively involved in his local community. Here is an example of how he took this involvement one step further…

Ed’s All-round Gardeners – Bringing the Ashes to Berkshire

When Guy’s village primary school announced plans for a local fundraising village cricket match with a replication of the Ashes tradition, Guy was more than happy to roll up his sleeves and lend a hand. He volunteered to be one of the sponsors of the cricket match as well as actually playing in it himself. Here is what Guy has to say…

“I have always been a big cricket fan and enjoy playing too. When our local village primary announced plans to run a charity “Ashes” competition, my interest was piqued. They were replicating the ashes tradition and customising it for our own little Berkshire village. Charmed by the concept, I volunteered to play immediately but then thought it would be a great initiative to sponsor and all for a good local cause. And so I put my Ed’s business forward as a match sponsor. All our players had the Ed’s logo, as well as those of the other sponsors, printed on our cricket shirts.”

Ed’s All-round Gardeners – The Match

“It ended up being a really fabulous day, with the whole local community involved. The match was great fun with everyone in good spirits (even the losers!).”

A New Village Tradition

“We followed up our cricket match with tea and home made cakes. Furthermore, the sun shone for us throughout the day and we raised a good sum of money. It was really great to catch up with some friendly faces and my whole family had a lovely time. I often see people when I am out and about wearing my Ed’s uniform so it was a change to be in full cricket gear (although the Ed’s logo was still present!). Everyone was buzzing and saying how we should definitely make the cricket match a new Hurst annual tradition. The Hurst Ashes – who knew that Ed’s would become part of English cricket tradition! “

6th April 20225th May 2022

Gardener News

Gardener News – Marcus is the new Dave

Gardener changeover ahead

We have some gardener news at Ed’s. Dave, our Ed’s gardener in Andover has recently decided to hang up his gardening gloves, sell up and move from Andover to Suffolk. Dave has spent five happy years as an Ed’s gardener. We are all very sorry to say farewell to Dave, who has been a great and enthusiastic member of the Ed’s team. He will most certainly be missed.

However, we are also very happy that Marcus, will take over the service of many of Dave’s lovely customers. Marcus has recently moved from Streatham to run his Ed’s business in Stockbridge and surrounding area. Dave has delievered a very smooth handover. Furthermore, Marcus is very much looking forward to provide the excellent customer service that Dave has delivered.

At Ed’s we pride ourselves on this level of customer service which includes providing continuity as much as we possibly can. Our team of experienced gardeners like nothing more than to help each other out and be great team players. In many cases this can lead to them growing their own businesses. As is the case with Dave and Marcus.

We wish both Dave and Marcus all the very best in their future endeavours.

25th January 202225th January 2022

Stripes are always in fashion

Stripes are most definitely where it is at. No matter what time of year!

Dave, Ed’s business owner in Andover, sent us this photo of some mowing handiwork from last week. Some impressive winter stripes! There is a lot to be said for getting your garden looking good at the very start of the year. Start as you mean to go on and all that.

Dave says ” The weather is definitely changing so much that mowing is starting to be pretty much an all year round activity. My customers find that their grass is still growing in what was previously the dead of winter. They don’t like their gardens scruffy, when they are used to them being beautiful. The result is that I am mowing so much more. I’m not complaining though as I like nothing more than a lovely stripy lawn. It is such a satisfying job to do.”

“I enjoy all types of work with Ed’s. My core services are:-

Lawn mowing
Hedge cutting
Jet washing
Garden Clearances
Garden Tidy-ups”

“As the seasons change, the focus of my work tends to change too. I tune in to the needs of my customers’ gardens over the whole year. I am pretty flexible regarding delivering whichever service, or services, their garden requires at a particular point of the year.”

“Some people are happy to leave mowing until the spring and others want their gardens looking their absolute best all year. I deliver exactly whatever my customers want.”

“I have been servicing many of my customers for a number of years. This means that I know the needs of their gardens very well. I enjoy having that year-round input and my customers enjoy having the peace of mind of knowing that their gardens are in good hands. Both sides are happy!”

If you think Ed’s can help you with your gardening needs, please do get in touch.

15th December 202115th December 2021

Gardener Festive Cheer – Hoe Hoe Hoe

‘Tis the season to be a jolly gardener…

Gardener joy is running very high at this time of year. One of the most exciting times of the year for us! An Ed’s gardener loves nothing more than the traditions of the festive season. When else are verdant branches such a key part of life! Greenery indoors, a brilliant idea! You can see us out and about, decked in our seasonal uniforms and even singing Jingle Bells as we work. If you don’t believe us, the proof is in the photo above!

…and to be thankful for our loyal customers

As always, it has been a pleasure to have serviced all our lovely customers over the past year and to help you keep your gardens looking their very best, whatever the season.

We are looking forward to working with you again in the year ahead.

Naturally, the needs of gardens evolve so please remember that no job is too big or too small. We are happy to mow lawns, turf lawns, cut hedges, tidy up gardens, jet wash patios and also clear leaves when the season requires it. We even help with fence repairs from storm, or other, damage and we sometimes build new fences from scratch. So please let us know, whatever service you require. We are more than happy to discuss.

We would like to wish all our customers a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

May your days be merry and green.

Very Best Wishes from everyone in the Ed’s team

14th October 202115th October 2021

Ed’s Gardener focus in Chislehurst

Ed’s Gardener Chris – customer service is key

Ed’s Gardener Chris Snowball runs his growing gardening business in Chislehurst.

Chris enjoys delivering a whole range of gardening services as follows:-

Lawn Mowing
Turfing
Power washing
Garden tidy ups
Garden clearances

Customer service is at the very heart of Chris’s business and he strives to delight his customers with this approach. And so, we asked Chris what this means to him. This is what he has to say…

“I frequently think about what the most important things are in the service I provide to my customers. There is a lot more to being a good gardener than completing a really good gardening job. Therefore, whilst it goes without saying that work should be delivered to a high standard, great customer service is a lot more besides. In reality, the customer experience starts when your customer first makes contact with you and should continue right through to returning for repeat visits. As such, good customer service is continuous and it is more of a relationship than a single job experience.”

“I believe that good communication is key to many things in life and so very important in my own business. My customers deserve clear communication right from first contact. Of course, Life is busy enough for them and they should get clear, comprehensive communication from their gardener. It goes without saying and it is key to your garden being a happy place for you.”

“However, communication is clearly a two way process. I love nothing more than customers sharing their ideas about their garden’s potential with me and understanding them and then working to turn them into reality. That’s one of the very best elements of my job and I find it extremely rewarding.”

If Chris can help you fulfil any of your garden’s needs, please do get in touch.

24th June 202124th June 2021

Gardening galore! – Ed’s Garden Showcase

Gardening galore is definitely where it’s at in Ed’s. Gardening is our business and June is such a wonderful time to be a gardener. It goes without saying that Ed’s gardeners are really busy at the moment. However, it is glorious to be working outdoors in the summer sunshine. Furthermore, it’s wonderful seeing the glorious results of our gardeners’ hard graft.

Gardening galore – Showcase

We thought it would be good to give an insight into some of the gardening that our gardeners have been doing recently. It gives a flavour of the work that we do. We love our stripy lawns at Ed’s but it is not all about that. We pride ourselves in the transformation and ongoing careful maintenance of a whole range of sizes and types of gardens. Furthermore, we focus on what our customers really want from their gardens. The old adage that beauty is in the eye of the beholder is key when it comes to gardens.

Without further ado, and firmly handing all the credit over to our excellent gardeners, here is a little flavour of their recent gardening endeavours…

Ed’s gardeners at work

So we do love our stripes at Ed’s! Our gardeners are masters of the stripy lawn. So we’ll start with a nice stripy lawn…

They don’t come much more stripy than this one. All credits to Marcus, our gardener in Streatham.

Peter, our gardener in Eastleigh has been creating some wonderful stripes in this large garden…

Peter's perfect stripy lawn — Peter’s stripes

Peter‘s team are also good at vertical gardening. They have been scaling some impressive hedges earlier this year…

Peter's hedges — Peter’s vertical gardening

And Ali, our gardener in Cambridge (North) is clearly demonstrating that beautiful gardens can come in all shapes and sizes…

Ali's shady garden retreat — Ali’s fabulous family garden

Kevin, our gardener in Raynes Park, has to get the prize for the greenest garden. He assures us no filters were involved in this photo!

Kevin's green garden — Kevin’s perfect shade of green

Matthew, our gardener in Folkestone, has been very hands-on working closely to his customer’s spec by creating this lovely outdoor space.

Matthew's garden transformation — Matthew’s stunning results

Finally, in the summer of the staycation, Mark, our gardener in Ramsgate, has been creating a perfect Mediterranean oasis for this delighted customer.

Mark's Mediterranean garden in Ramsgate — Mark brings the Mediterranean to Ramsgate

However, our gardeners do have their helpers to assist in delivering all the magic. Here’s a very fine example of an Ed’s little helper…

Moreover, this is just a flavour of what some of our gardeners have been turning their green fingers to. We’ll share more snaps with you as in the coming months.

Ed’s gardeners are happy to work with all different types of gardens. If you think we can help you with yours, please do get in touch.

11th February 202111th February 2021

Gardener Challenge Accepted and Delivered!

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 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!”

“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.

5th November 20205th November 2020

Ed’s Garden Services

Garden Services Great Bookham Hedgehog Patrol

Heroes for Hedgehogs!

Ed’s Garden Services gardeners meet quite a lot of little hedgehog friends as we go about our day to day gardening jobs, especially in autumn. All of our gardeners have their own stories about encounters with our prickly garden companions and we are rather fond of them.

Ed’s Garden Services Dan to the rescue!

This particular little fellow was given roadside assistance by Dan, who is our gardener in Great Bookham. Dan says ” I do come across a number of hedgehogs while working in my customers’ gardens. However I spotted this little guy wandering on a really narrow grass verge of a busy road. He looked like he was about to wander on to the tarmac. He looked very young too. I parked the van up safely and ran back to lift him to safety.”

Beyond looking cute, hedgehogs are delightful little creatures who diligently go about their gardening work of eating insects that can be harmful to plants. By nature, they tend to be quite shy and they do enjoy napping. Hedgehogs love nothing better than curling up in any piles of leaves and twigs which have accumulated in gardens.

Bonfires are bad news for hedgehogs…

An unlit bonfire is a very attractive place for a hedgehog for a quick autumn nap. So, please do be very vigilant this evening.

Make sure you check through the unlit bonfire for any sleeping hedgehogs before you set the bonfire alight. If you find a hedgehog, use a handkerchief or dish towel or even a bunch of autumn leaves to gently pick him up. Then move him to a quiet spot before the bonfire and firework festivities begin. He will be very grateful for it!

Tiggiwinkles Wildlife Hospital are experts in treating poorly hedgehogs, some of whom have been casualties of bonfires. Some hedgehogs survive with painful burns but others are not so lucky. Tiggiwinkkles gives this advice about how to make your garden hedgehog-friendly throughout the year.