The maintenance calendar
A Thames Valley garden through the year — what actually wants doing, and when
Most gardens are not neglected; they are looked after at the wrong time of year. This is the calendar Stephen works to on the maintenance round in and around Henley-on-Thames, so you can see what a regular visit covers season by season — whether you keep it up yourself or hand it over.
Spring
March – May
The month everything happens at once. First cuts of the year with the blades high, then gradually lower; edges cut back in against the borders; beds weeded, forked over and mulched before growth closes in. Roses and late-flowering shrubs pruned, perennials divided, and new planting put in while the soil is damp and warming. Topiary gets its first shaping. Anything built over the winter — paving, decking, a new bed — is planted up now.
Summer
June – August
Keeping on top rather than catching up. Mowing, strimming and edging on a regular rhythm; hedges cut once nesting is over; deadheading to keep colour coming; steady weeding so borders do not disappear in three wet weeks. Watering matters most on new planting and anything in pots. This is the season that shows whether a garden is on a proper visit schedule or only gets attention when it looks bad.
Autumn
September – November
Tidying and preparing. Final cuts with the blades raised, leaves off the lawn and out of the beds, borders cut back and divided, tender things protected. The best planting window of the year: roots get away while the ground is still warm and wet. Ponds are cleared of leaf fall before it rots down, and gutters, drains and the falls on paving get checked before winter properly arrives.
Winter
December – February
The quiet season, and the right one for the heavy work. Dormant trees and shrubs pruned for shape and structure while you can see what you are cutting; overgrown gardens cleared while growth is down; hedges reshaped. It is also the sensible time to build — paving, decking, walls, steps and garden buildings go in far more easily through a bare garden, and to survey and draw a design ready to plant in spring.
What a maintenance visit covers
Tailored to the garden and the budget — not sold as a package.
- Lawn mowing, strimming and edging
- Seasonal pruning of shrubs, roses and small trees
- Hedge trimming and reshaping
- Topiary, clipped and kept in shape
- Deadheading and border care
- Digging, weeding and mulching
- One-off garden clearance and tidy-ups
- Clearance visits for letting agents and new owners
What shapes the work
Every garden wants a slightly different year.
How much a garden needs, and when, comes down to a handful of things — the same handful Stephen works through with you on the first visit.
- 01How much of the garden is lawn, hedge and border — that, more than square footage, sets the visit length.
- 02Whether the garden needs bringing back first: a clearance visit, then a regular round, is usually cheaper than fighting it every fortnight.
- 03What is actually planted. Some hedges and shrubs have a narrow window for cutting, and topiary wants two or three careful visits rather than one hard one.
- 04How much you want to do yourself — plenty of clients keep the mowing and hand over pruning, hedges and the seasonal work.
- 05Whether you want a fixed weekly or monthly visit, or a handful of key visits at the right moments in the year.
None of this is a package. Ring 01491 414358 or email info@stephendaviesgardens.co.uk and Stephen will walk the garden with you, tell you what it genuinely needs through the year, and price a visit pattern around your garden and your budget.
Or read how a design project runsRather hand the year over?
Ring the Henley office and Stephen will price a visit pattern around your garden — regular, seasonal, or a single clearance to get it back under control.