You need to know what you are doing with chainsaws

With the snow now melted away, time to get to work on all the fallen trees brought down by the snow.

Now all you guys out there who got chainsaws for Christmas – take heed. At Gibbons Gardening, we have always had a very health respect for tools that can mame or kill you – chainsaws are one of the most dangerous and not very forgiving. Every accident with a chainsaw is a nasty one.

You need to take safety very seriously and always use Personal Protective Equipment (referred to as PPE ). When using any dangerous equipment or entering into dangerous tasks we always do a risk assessment to ensure both our safety and anybody Else’s safety (or property). It not worth taking that short cut – EVER.

If you really want to do it yourself, then get booked on a course. There are many excellent course available locally and they teach you everything you need to know about chainsaw safety, maintenance and cutting safely, all followed up with an exam which is both theory and practical.

PPE is vital. If you are doing loads of cutting, then its worth spending more on the gear, but most importantly the gear must be appropriate for the job and the saws you will be using. Dont buy second hand unless its pretty much brand new – especially a helmet. This really needs to be new as you dont know the history.

One thing we find totally amazing is that anybody over 18  can walk into a garden equipment or country store and buy any chainsaw – even monster ones that should only be used by professionals. There is no legislation, certification, training or minumum PPE requirements – all you need is cash or credit card.

On a serious note, anything to do with tree removal, limb removal or clearance is dangerous and jolly hard work – it’s both physically and mentally draining – so don’t believe its a walk in the park and never attempt it yourself without training.

Its not worth the risk to life, limb or property – call Gibbons Gardening for a quote instead!

Keeping roads and paths cleared - who is responsible?

Has the world gone completely mad? With all this snow, a record fall for over 30 years, Health and safety experts are warning house owners and businesses NOT to clear pathways for fear of being sued.

In a statement from The Institution of Occupational Safety and Health says that is you clear the ice and snow from your path, you are assuming responsibility that you have done it correctly. If somebody them slips and injures themselves, then you are liable. Does this explain why paths and pavements have not been cleared in the towns?

So if we look at this further, if we were involved in an accident on a road due to slipping, are we able to sue the local council for this? Particularly if they have attempted to clear it – this would be an interesting test case? 

So heres how to clear your paths properly:

• Remove all loose snow from the area with a shovel, making sure the snow will not blow back on the path
• Spread a thick layer of salt and grit evenly over the area, making sure you do not miss any parts
• Place warning signs at the start and end of the pathway
• Check slippage regularly but definitely first thing in the morning, lunchtime and evening
• Spread more grit and salt when required
• Remove any new snow falls as they happen

By doing this I am sure you can prove a duty of care and that you have taken it seriously.

Here’s a question, what if you did nothing and somebody slipped and hurt themselves? Are you liable for doing nothing or is it a natural occurence and beyond control?

Hopefully, sense will prevail and the UK Spirit will take care of it. Straight talking Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory minister summed up our thoughts in a recent interview with the Sunday Telegraph when she said that the idea you could be sued for being helpful was absolutely ludicrous.

If you have any questions or want to put a bad weather plan or policy in place for your home or business, contact us.

Gibbons Gardening excel at Lawn Care

When we take on a contract, we assess the quality of the lawns already in situ and establish a program to ensure they get the proper treatments required to keep them in top condition. This will include the amount of weeds and moss, as well as the root structure and make up of the lawn.

It’s fair to say most lawns are pretty neglected. The old contractor maybe did not take such good care of the grass and simply cut it, or perhaps its a new site where the main contract or just got a turfing contractor in to lay the initial turf – every job is different.

Gibbons Ground Maintenance take time to assess the drainage and soil types, then apply the correct chemical applications to suit the conditions. Treatments can include scarification, aeration, drainage and in some cases re-turfing worn out areas.

For new turfing jobs, correct preparation is essential as is the correct turf for the particular application and conditions. It is essential that we understand what the area will be used for – if for instance the area will be used for a play area, we need to ensure the grass will stand up to the constant punishment.

Similarly, if it’s for the look we will choose a fine ornamental grass. Preparation is key. Proper allowance must be made for drainage. The shape will also dictate the work involved in preparation of the grounds.

Project management is key to the success of any turfing project. The ground must be ready to accept the turf as it arrives and the turf must arrive freshly cut so the grass-roots will bond quickly once it is laid. The turf must not arrive too soon otherwise it will dry out and not bond properly.

 Aftercare is essential. Once you have laid the turf, proper care after for the first few months is vital. Sufficient water must be available to ensure good root growth and health.

Laying new turf requires careful preparation

For a complete lawn care and turfing service, contact us at Gibbons Ground Maintenance for a no obligation survey and price.

Getting started - turning a tree into a masterpiece

The really great thing about our job is variety. Each day in the life of a Grounds Maintenance contractor is different – the clients may be the same or similar, but the jobs change constantly – bit like the weather really! 

Turning a problem into a masterpiece really takes some doing, but thats whats going on here. We had a tree that was becoming dangerous and overgrown which needed to be removed, so rather than just cutting it up, we decided to turn this into a feature! 

It does take a great deal of thought and is very challenging, but we dont do simple. So with a finely sharpened chainsaw and a shape in mind, we set to work in creating a seat out of this trunk. Yes it takes a bit of time but the results were fantastic and the client really pleased. 

Almost there - shaping the final seat

So if you want more than just the standard ground and garden maintenance company, contact us now for a chat – most clients are pleasantly surprised at our reasonable costs too!

The whole process starts from a detailed design which is agreed with the client. Then its down to marking out, soil refresh (most of the soil is usually unsuitable for a flower bed feature so must be replaced), turfing, laying out and planting.

The following is a pictorial story board of how its done:

Agree the plans and marking out

Preparation of the soil is vital to the success of the feature

Laying the turf - getting ready to plant

Planting up based on the agreed design

Almost done - the final touches make all the difference

So why not get in touch with us to see how we can turn that boring piece of land into a feature in your garden – call Gibbons Gardening now or send us an email to discuss your requirements.

Pest control now added to the portfolio

Some really great news for our current and future customers – now we can provide a complete end to end pest control service as well as our high quality grounds maintenance services.

So what does this mean to you as a client? Well its quite simple really. As we are on your site loads of time, we see all sorts of things going on – especially early signs of pests!

Most of our commercial gardening contract clients have multiple contracts in place for all sorts of things, so this service now allows you to consolidate your pest control contract into your grounds maintenance contract.

The key benefits to you are:

• Reduced administration – one payment to make, one invoice to process
• One point of contact for all grounds related issues
• Reduced costs in most cases
• Expert attention from professional pest controllers
• A call out service for pests
• Rapid guaranteed response

Our contracts are fully featured and flexible to suit your budgets and cover not only the external pests like wasps, rabbits, moles and rats, but also the internal pests like mice, flies and fleas.

Since its launch a few weeks ago, several of our clients have moved their pest control over to us, so why not contact us now to see how we can provide a first class pest control service for you.

Careful planning and attention to detail, ensures you maximize the potential of your space and a garden design can be something you don’t have to worry about.

If you are thinking of making alterations in the garden it doesn’t have to be on a big scale. Easy changes can be made to an established garden making a radical difference. Moving plants around and planting some new ones can create something eye catching. Maybe its a few pots or containers and hanging baskets you are after for the patio. A garden is about plants… in our mind the more plants the better the impact!

With some Gibbons Gardening vision you can transform your entrance to impress everyone. For example, this contract was recently taken over from the existing gardening contractors, and the entrance to this fantastic property looked drab and uninviting, so with some thought of colour schemes to suit the garden and some care, the entrance has been transformed to warm and inviting – see the difference.

At Gibbons Gardening we are not all about new designs – maintenance is also a vital part of a design scheme. Finding which way the garden faces is the first concept we look at. Which parts are sunny and which are shady? Where does the sunrise and set? What is the ph of the soil? We need to know in order to decide which plants will thrive there.  How can we improve what is already established, plant, fixture or fitting?

All these factors are considered before committing the ideas to reality. Why not call us today to see what changes we can make

A well cut hedge is visually rewarding but extremely hard work. The frequency that we need to trim your hedge depends on the type of hedge. Fast-growing species such as privet and some conifers, Leyland and Lawson cypress, for example, can receive necessary upright trimming two or three times in the spring / summer in a dense, formal effect.

Most conifers can be pruned in the spring / summer. This is also suitable for slow-growing evergreens such as holly and yew. More vigorous evergreens, such as field benefit from a trim in late spring. Summer Greens species are cut usually twice a year, first in winter while dormant again in midsummer.

All hedges need cutting a least once a year and some more frequently than others.  We all know a well maintained hedge gives definition and boundary to a garden but if left unchecked soon looses the shape and can look unsightly, so a good cut keeps your hedge under control and you will be pleased with your investment.

Many hedge plants will form very large trees or shrubs if they are not cut regularly. As a rule, they will react to the trimming of their vertical growth through the production of side shoots. Sometimes it is necessary to trim branches to bushy sideways growth, although the amount is also necessary vocation. It’s all part of the process of creating a well-formed and effective protection. Gibbons Gardening knows what we are talking about!

At Gibbons Gardening pride ourselves in our professionalism where safety is always a key factor.  We have just recently invested in a new innovation produced by Elephant Trunk to save the stress of arm and shoulder strain so we can cut your hedges all day long!!!

This device actually takes we weight of the cutter, thus allowing the operator to have more control, less fatigue and adds safety as you don’t have to strain against gravity.

Graham trying the Elephant Trunk

Careful Pruning of fruit trees increases the harvest

We are getting lots of calls from worried customers who have issues with their fruit trees being over-loaded with fruit – so much so that limbs are breaking off.

This year seems to have produced an abundance of fruit on most trees, mostly due to the early sunshine in June which produced bumper amounts of blossom, and the dry warm summer. This weather also produced and almost epidemic hatch of insects to pollinate this blossom.

This really highlights the problem of fruit trees which have not been pruned properly in the past. Unfortunately, there is not a lot which can be done at this time of the year – only to pick the fruit as soon it becomes ripe to minimise the risk of further damage, then get us in to prune your fruit trees over the late autumn and winter.

A well pruned fruit tree will actually produce more fruit of better quality in subsequent years. We have recently visited several properties where the only possible solution will be to cut down and remove some really lovely trees which have literally split in two – all the pruning in the world will not bring these back.

Fruit tree pruning is one of Gibbons Ground Maintenance’s specialities so why not call or drop an email to us so we can get your fruit trees under control and producing for many years to come.

Moving large trees is not easy

So you are thinking about landscaping your garden.

With programs like Ground Force, who transform a disaster area into a work of art in 2 days, inspiring people to attempt landscaping projects, it is worth mentioning that there are quite a few things to consider before taking such a step.

Firstly, not taking anything away from Alan Titchmarsh and the guys at Ground Force, it will take an enormous amount of planning, time, disruption and effort to get a garden landscaped. At Gibbons Gardening, we make sure you know the disruption that will happen and the potential mess – it is after all a major construction job.

Then of course there is the design.

What are you looking to achieve from this major work? It is vital to have a vision at the planning stage. At Gibbons Gardening, we really take time to discuss your objectives and goals, take a full brief and then commit effort to designing the effect you are looking to achieve. We will also offer advise on the concept as we have seen many different ideas over the years.

After this, we move into the planning stage. This is where Gibbons Gardening are highly skilled. Getting plant and machinery into the appropriate place and the right time is an art form in itself – more like a precision military manoeuvre than a landscaping project. If there are any major works or pieces of the overall design, like sculptures, features, pools and ponds etc, these need to be planned and delivered at the right time in the most appropriate manner, then positioned with extreme care – all taken in our stride as we have done this type of work many times before.

Buying mature trees that instantly change the perspective of the grounds can be problematic as trees are notoriously difficult to manoeuvre and are extremely fragile and also very heavy; however we do this very regularly and have lots of experience in this field.

 Also, choosing plants and shrubs that will provide the coverage and effect you are looking for is vital to the whole project. Making sure the plants cover the area, but not go wild and swamp the effect is very important. Consideration must be given to the ongoing maintenance of the area and making sure the colour scheme matches the idea.

The ultimate goal is to create you a very special, unique garden that you will enjoy for many years to come.

So whilst Alan and the team do a great job, don’t leave your landscaping project to chance – call in the experts and get the job done right from the start – after all you are living with this creation for years to come – call Gibbons Gardening now for a consultation.