Dear Gerry,I need to get somebody in to help me in the garden. I am worried about insurance; I have heard horror stories about contractors damaging property or, even worse, injuring themselves, while carrying out work and the property owner being liable. What sort of insurance should a garden maintenance contractor have? Is it acceptable to ask to see proof? And as I may also need a tree surgeon to carry out some specialist work, would the insurance requirements be different again? And finally, how can I find a good company? The ads in the Golden Pages all look the same!Many thanks
74 views0 answers0 votes
I am planning to plant a curved internal hedge in my garden, about 3ft high and 100ft long, to divide the space. Although I am in a rural location and most of the trees and boundary hedging are native in style, I want this hedge to be evergreen and fairly formal, as a contrast, and as a backdrop to other plants. I'm nervous that box might be too "stiff". I would love common holly, but will it be possible to maintain it at this size? Any other ideas?
40 views0 answers0 votes
My griselinia hedge has suffered in the recent bad frosts and the leaves are all brown. What should I do, should I cut it back?
58 views0 answers0 votes
I have some old and very large apple trees, 15 to 20 metres in height. Is it possible to prune these down to a manageable height? It would probably mean cutting large branches and even the upper trunk back to bare timber, with no growth point. Would shoots grow from cuts like this? And what about the fact that I would be removing over half of the crown? Shold I do it over a couple of years?
64 views0 answers0 votes