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!

Garden Services Dan Bookham

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.”

Garden Services Great Bookham Hedgehog Patrol

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.

Gardening business as usual…

…gardening with safety first

Kevin Ed's gardener in Raynes Park ready for business
Kevin, our gardener in Raynes Park ready for work

Gardening is a year-round business in normal times. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected many businesses in different ways. Here at Ed’s we thought it would be a good idea to give our customers a brief update on how things are going at Ed’s in light of the COVID-19 events of recent months.

Gardening services were able to continue during lockdown which was a big relief to all our Ed’s gardeners. Our gardeners consider themselves very fortunate that this is the case. Gardening is naturally a safe and socially-distanced activity. However, our gardeners have put a range of safety precautions in place to protect the safety of their customers as well as their own while they go about their gardening jobs.

Demand for our gardening services has been running high over the past months. We are very grateful for our customers’ business at any time, but especially during these uncertain times. We are doing our very best to service our customers’ needs whilst of course continuing to work safely.

The word on the street…

Mark, our Ed’s gardener in Ramsgate sums things up well. Mark says ” When the pandemic first hit, like everyone else in the country, I wondered what it would mean for my business. However, I have been really busy throughout. Demand for my services has been really strong. The feedback I have been getting from my customers is that everyone is spending a lot more time at home. Outdoor space is even more of a luxury than usual. If the summer is being spent at home, they want the garden to feel as much like being on holiday as possible. That’s where I can make a big difference. I have found it really rewarding to help my customers during these difficult times.”

Our Gardening Services…

Our Ed’s gardeners continue to cover a whole range of gardening services in the following areas:-

  • Lawn mowing – no lawn is too big or two small. We can cope with overgrown lawns and equally well-tended lawns.
  • Hedge cutting – from small box hedges to big hedge cutting jobs, we are happy to help.
  • Garden clearances and tidy-ups – we are experienced in getting stuck in and making a big difference to your space.
  • Jet washing – patios and terraces look so much better when they are clean.
  • Fencing – storm damage? Or maybe just a more attractive new fence? We are happy to discuss your ideas with you.

Please do get in touch if we can help you with any of your gardening needs.

Gardening Services Continuity

Perfect lawn mowing stripes

Garden Services Continuity – The Current Situation

We appreciate that Garden Services Continuity  is relied on by many of our customers to make the most of their home environment. Clearly, we are living in highly unusual times and  there are much more pressing matters than well-kept gardens. However, we are also mindful that people will be spending much more time at home. A well-tended garden can help raise spirits and keep a sense of some normality.  Please be reassured that we are doing all we can to continue with the provision of our gardening services to our valued and loyal customers.

We are currently adopting a ‘business as usual’ approach as far as possible. We wish to reassure you that our gardeners are adhering to scrupulous hygiene standards combined with minimal face-to-face customer contact.  Safety in the delivery of our services must come before all else.  This is in the best interests of our valued customers and our gardeners alike.

 

Safety First

We are continually tracking Government/NHS guidelines regarding protecting our customers and ourselves. These are the guidelines we are following:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/?utm_campaign=1347049_Coronavirus%20statement%20update%2016.03.20&utm_medium=email&utm_source=All%20England%20Netball%20Association%20Limited&dm_i=4NYO,SVE1,3H5J5U,3H3H9,1

Fortunately, the outdoors nature of our business is very significant. We can provide Gardening Services Continuity without a need for ongoing face-to-face contact with our regular customers. Furthermore, we can even estimate new jobs without actually meeting a customer face to face. Email and telephone contact with access to the garden are sufficient to undertake estimates.

In a future situation where our gardeners have to, or decide to, self-isolate, we shall advise our customers of interruption to our Garden Services Continuity as soon as possible. Likewise, we would ask our customers to let us know if they are self-isolating at their earliest convenience.  That way, we can take necessary steps to respect the situation and avoid any contact whatsoever.

Looking Ahead

The wider health situation is evolving from day to day.  As such, we are constantly re-evaluating our position regarding Garden Services Continuity. Furthermore, this is also very much reliant on our gardeners remaining fit and healthy.  However, We will endeavour to communicate any changes in circumstances as timely and clearly as possible.

Over the many years we have been in this business, we are continuously impressed by the commitment, resilience and pragmatism of our fantastic team of gardeners. This is all the more evident in times of challenge. These are unprecedented times but we have no doubt that our gardeners continue to do their very best for their valued customers.

Garden Services Folkestone – Variety is the spice of life

Stripy lawn with lavender in foreground

Garden Services Folkestone – Meeting all your gardening needs

Garden Services Folkestone is one area where Ed’s Garden Services has a strong presence. Provision of garden services can vary greatly in nature of work. Of course, one factor is the changing seasons. However, another big factor is the fact that Ed’s gardeners do their absolute best to tailor their services to their loyal customers’ needs.

Gardening Services Folkestone Matthew May

Garden Services Folkestone – Matthew May

Matthew has been an Ed’s gardener in Folkestone for almost ten years. During that time, Matthew has gained a great amount of gardening experience. He has also turned his hand to a very wide range of different types of gardening jobs. 

Garden Services Folkestone – Matthew’s impressive track record

Matthew is a modest chap but we are only too happy to sing his praises. Not only is Matthew an excellent gardener but he unfailingly shows strong commitment to great customer service. We may be a bit biased but the British franchise association aren’t.  Indeed, Matthew was a Finalist in their prestigious National Franchisee of the Year Award a few years ago.  This was in recognition of  his all-round business skills and commitment. A star indeed!

Garden Services Folkestone – Matthew’s reflections

We caught up with Matthew recently to talk about what is closest to his heart.  Providing excellent garden services in Folkestone, of course, but more precisely…

“I don’t  feel like I’ve been running my gardening business for ten years. That is because the work I do is so varied that I never get bored. I am very lucky to have some great customers who trust me to get (and keep) their gardens looking great. This gives me a lot of scope for creativity and resulting job satisfaction. I enjoy nothing better than surprising my customers with a truly excellent gardening job that surpasses their expectations by a long way”.

Is it all about the mowing?

“Of course I do a lot of mowing jobs. Sometimes I have been asked if this gets boring and the short answer is… Never! Every lawn is different and I take great pride in getting all my jobs just right. I do love my stripes as well – here is a photo of one of my lovely local lawns.”

Large stripy Lawn Folkestone

Variety is the spice of life

“Clearly, it’s not all about mowing. My hedge cutting jobs feature strongly as well as big garden clearances and jet washing patios as well.  I really do anything my customers need to get their gardens looking as good as possible.”

“I do like to keep my fingers green – it’s gardener credibility to get some planting soil under the fingernails! Planting jobs can be fun and really creative.  It is important to discuss with my customer what they really want in terms of colour, texture and of course blooming period.”

Potting Shed Folkestone

Any big projects?

“Sometimes, my work involves managing a significant garden redesign. My customer was delighted with the end result in this one. I was really pleased with how it turned out too.”

“This is the “before” photo…”

Garden Redesign Folkestone Before Photo

“The ‘work in progress’ one…”

Garden Redesign Folkestone During Photo

“And the finished article…”

Garden Redesign Folkestone After Photo

“My golden rule – always, always discuss with the customer what they really want. I may sound like I am stating the obvious but it is all too easy to get caught up in your own transformation vision.  I take time to chat things through properly and give my customer time to mull things over in the process.”

“My life as a gardener is really fulfilling.  I love the scope of my job and really couldn’t imagine doing anything better.”

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

Fencing with Fabulous Results in Norfolk (North and West)

Fencing Project Completed with Ed's van beside

Fencing Solutions by Stuart

Fencing is a great job for the cooler months. Stuart, our Ed’s gardener in Norfolk (North and West), along with his team, recently completed an excellent local fencing job.

The Fencing Challenge

Stuart‘s customer was a bit tired of the part hedge/part picket fence which they looked out onto at the front of their property. They really wanted a uniform look. Their goal was a high fence which would effectively screen the front of their property. They also wanted a solution which would look attractive.

Before photo of Norfolk fencing project

The Fencing Solution

Stuart discussed the project with his customer and they agreed on a high-quality and very smart fencing solution.

The Fencing Project

Stuart had his brief in place and it was full steam ahead…The job was quite a challenging one for Stuart and his team but was less daunting when they broke it down into different stages:-

  • Removing the old picket fence – this actually ran the whole breadth of the property but was hidden by the large laurel hedge;
  • Removing the large laurel hedge – this was a big job as the hedge was tall, wide and mature;
  • Stump grinding;
  • Erecting the new fence.

The Great British Weather!

Stuart says “We had been hoping for some nice crisp late-autumn days. Such weather is perfect for a precision job like this. However, as luck would have it, ridiculously wet weather hit. Consequently, we took the decision to stop for a couple of days rather than risk compromising the end result due to the terrible weather conditions. Fence erection of this type is very precise work and it requires the right conditions to get it absolutely right.”

It was the right call. The weather improved a bit and the guys were able to work through some strong winds and heavy showers to crack the job. They finished the fence erection in ideal conditions on a beautiful morning. It felt a world away from the apocolyptic weather of just days before!

The End Result

High quality double sided fencing delivered by Ed's Gardener Stuart from Norfolk

A millimetre perfect run of superb quality double-sided fence panels. What a beauty!

Stuart says ” Jobs like these are challenging and can be a little nerve-racking. You are working with very heavy and expensive fence panels which need total precision to get optimal results and we don’t settle for anything less.” He added ” However, they are hugely satisfying jobs, there is nothing better than seeing a perfect fence at the end of the hard graft.”

Stuart’s customer was absolutely delighted with their brand new fence and thought it looked stunning. We have to agree!

If you have any fencing or general garden maintenance requirements in Norfolk (North and West), please do get it touch. Stuart would be delighted to help you.

Garden Services Great Bookham Hedgehog Patrol!

Garden Services Dan Bookham

Garden Services Great Bookham – Dan’s garden services

Dan Bates, our Ed’s Operator in Great Bookham, provides a long list of garden services. He loves keeping gardens looking shipshape. Dan covers lawn mowing, hedge cutting, pressure washing, fencing and turfing in East Horsley, West Horsley, Clinton and Effingham as well as Great Bookham and Little Bookham. However, Dan has just added a new garden service to his list. And the new one is…hedgehog patrol!

Garden Services Great Bookham Hedgehog Patrol

Our garden-friendly little friends…

Our Ed’s Operators are very fond of hedgehogs. We meet them on occasions when we are gardening and they really are a force for good . Hedgehogs are very effective pest controllers and love nothing better than a good compost heap to curl up in. They eat bugs and other pests and quietly go about their business without causing any trouble at all. They are quite shy creatures but we do meet face to face from time to time. When they see us, they tend to wander off to a quiet spot in the garden and mind their own business.

However, yesterday Dan was driving between gardening jobs in Great Bookham and found this cute little fellow wandering just a bit too close to the main road. Hedgehogs (as their name would suggest!) love sleeping in hedges and when these hedges border busy roads, it can lead to trouble when they wander out for a bit of fresh air.

Dan did what any reliable Ed’s Operator would. He found a safe place to stop his Ed’s van, parked up and walked back to move the hedgehog to safety. However, he just had to get a quick photo of the little guy first as he was so very cute.

Bonfire Alert!

Hedgehogs are quite topical today, with it being 5th November. As well as compost heaps and hedges, hedgehogs are very partial to curling up in leaves and twigs. 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!

Garden Services Bookham – Dan’s the man

Garden Services Dan Bookham

Garden Services Bookham

Garden services Bookham required? Dan is your man!

The Background

Garden services Bookham? Look no more!

Experienced Ed’s Operator, Dan Bates, has been providing excellent gardening services in the Thames Ditton area for almost five years now. Although Dan has loved running his business in Thames Ditton, a change of family circumstances is now bringing him a new business focus. Why? Well, like many families, Dan and his family have recently moved out to Bookham. Consequently, Dan is looking to grow his business on his doorstep. Furthermore, he is really looking forward to the challenges that will bring him.

Therefore, Dan is developing his business in Bookham and surrounding areas including East Horsley, West Horsley and Clandon.

Garden Services Bookham -Dan’s Business

“Although we loved our life in Thames Ditton when our children were younger, we are now into the realms of different considerations. The children are growing all the time. Furthermore, in recent years we have added a dog into the mix! Consequently we definitely needed more space! Above all else, we are an outdoorsy family and we all love Bookham and the beautiful surrounding countryside to walk our dog in. We have now moved into our new house are all really excited about fitting into our new community. Also, I am really thrilled to have the opportunity to grow my business in a more rural setting.”

“I am providing a whole range of garden services as follows:-

  • Lawn Mowing
  • Turfing
  • Power washing
  • Garden tidy ups
  • Garden clearances
  • Fencing.”

Garden Services Bookham – Dan’s Priorities

” I have a lot of good experience to bring to my new customers. I take real pride in my work and I always focus on customer satisfaction. My reviews are testament to this. The way I see things is that I love a good job done. Above all, a job is only a really good one if the customer is delighted. That’s the real test'”

“However, I must confess, I really am very precise with how I like my lawns to look. This lawn is a very good example of some great stripes!”

Great garden services - beautiful stripy lawn

“However, there is a lot more to garden services than just lawn mowing . Also, the demands of the garden change over the seasons. Certainly, that’s the beauty of my job – the changing seasons bring always mixes things up a bit and life is never boring. And I definitely enjoy taking on a whole range of different types of jobs. Also, I am happy to tackle big ones as well as small ones. As they say, variety is definitely the spice of life!”

Finally, if you think that Dan can help you with any of your gardening requirements, please do get in touch for a no-obligation estimate.

Lawn mowing ready in Royal Tunbridge Wells

David Ross Ed's vehicle branded

Lawn Mowing and other garden maintenance services …

David Ross would so much rather be lawn mowing than sitting in an office. David has just set up his own Ed’s business in Royal Tunbridge Wells. He tells us about his vision for his business…

David Ross Ed's Operator Tunbridge Wells

My background…

“So how did I come to see my future in lawn mowing rather than Corporate life you may ask! My previous role was in Corporate sales but I have always had a real passion for gardening.  I am so excited to have the opportunity to focus on my love of the outdoors and doing practical gardening work. It is great to be able to earn a living doing something I really love.”

My training…

“I am now fully trained and all ready to go.  I havemy brand new Ed’s uniform and my vehicles smartly branded and I’m business-ready.  It is my view (and the Ed’s ethos) that it is really important to have professional kit and vehicles as well as being able to do a very good job. I want to look smart for my customers to complement delivering excellent work. As far as I am concerned, it is all part of the package.”

“I shall be providing a whole range of garden maintenance services. In addition to lawn mowing, I am fully trained in:-

  • Hedge cutting
  • Turfing
  • Power washing
  • Garden tidy ups
  • Garden clearances 
  • Fencing.”

“It is true that I have always done a lot of practical gardening jobs whenever I’ve had the opportunity. However, with Ed’s I’ve  had comprehensive on the job training to ensure that I am ready to provide excellent service right from the start.  I really liked that thoroughness about Ed’s when I was choosing the right franchise business for me.”

“My training has involved spending time with experienced Ed’s Operators to develop my knowledge and give me the right grounding for developing my business.  I knew I had the underlying skill set for this line of work. However, I’ve really honed that and now have full confidence to go out and deliver excellent gardening services.”

“I mowed this lawn on one of my training days.  I think the Ed’s Operator who took me out was really quite impressed. t’s true to say that I really  do love my stripes!”

David Ross lawn mowing stripes

My goals…

“My main goal is to focus on satisfying customers and go the extra mile for them.  I know that excellent customer service is key to building a really strong customer base.  My business will thrive if I can build a foundation of  loyal customers who come to me for repeat regular gardening services. That is the absolute key to a good, sustainable gardening business. “

“I am more than happy to help you with any of your garden maintenance requirements. Please do get in touch if you think I can help and I will be delighted to give you a free estimate.”

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…

Lawn Mowing on a grand scale

Pierre and Penny mow a meadown

Lawn mowing meadows by day…

Lawn mowing is something that Pierre and Penny Krycler know a lot about! Pierre and Penny run their Ed’s gardening business in Camberley and their days involve a lot of cutting grass.  They really enjoy all their jobs but  were tickled pink with this recent job. They have been running their Ed’s business for over five years.  However,  this was the first time that they have been asked to mow a meadow!

Pierre says,” It’s really good fun when we get new jobs such as this one as they are quite different from our usual garden maintenance jobs.”

Penny said,” We had a really good time doing this job. It was a challenging one on account of the size of the job.  However, we always try our best to meet our customers’ needs and give each job our very best shot.  The customer was very happy with the end result.”

Pierre added, “Penny also had some fun taking photos of this job. In some of them, it’s case of ‘spot the gardener’ – me!

Pierre and Penny mow a meadown
Pierre and Penny mow a meadow

…. and cultivating vegetables in their spare time

Village Competition Produce
Village Competition Produce

Pierre and Penny’s passion for gardening spills over to their home life as well.  They are the first to admit that they have really caught the gardening bug since joining Ed’s.  They take a lot of pride in maintaining their own lovely cottage garden in their spare time.  Pierre and Penny are modest about it all but their vegetables are really quite something.  It is no surprise that they tend to take their local village show by storm! Penny says, “It’s really funny but when we started growing vegetables it was just experimental. However, we realised that we are pretty good at it and now we take it a lot more seriously!  You would think that, after a long day’s gardening, we would want to be couch potatoes. But no, we would rather be concentrating on the potatoes in the garden!”

Penny says “Our life sounds so quintessentially British –  mowing meadows by day and cultivating our own vegetables for village shows in the evenings. In truth, it really is quite idyllic and we wouldn’t choose any other life.”

If you think Pierre and Penny can help you with any of your garden maintenance needs, please do get in touch.