Christmas seems a long time ago already. I really needed a break as it has been a bit mental over the last few months. All I did was service all the machines and clear everything up, and of course take a look at our own garden and do those jobs I keep meaning to do - I never actually get any time these days.......I must get a gardener in!!
It may sound a little odd but that last statement actually makes sense as my customers are in exactly the same boat! We all rush around doing life and stuff and we all leave things which should be taken care of for another time, but they never get done.
This is were Garden4You comes in.
Most of my customers are so busy making their businesses work and earning money that they don't have time to garden, decorate, put up shelves and pictures etc (I know lots of tradesmen who will do this for you BTW so just ask!).
Just do a simple calculation for yourselves - if you earn more per hour than it costs you to have it done - then get it done by somebody else. Also if you value your leisure time more than the cost of somebody sweating away in the garden, then also get it done by somebody else.
Don't look at it as a cost to running your house, look at it as an investment in you and your family time.
Also, you will be pleasantly surprised at how cost effective getting your garden sorted can be - so call me and lets talk!
On another note - Father Christmas was good to me this year and gave me a replacement MP3 player - a dinky little Creative Zen V. This is a really cool entry level device and I must say has a nice piece of software and easy to use interface - ideal for a starter unit (still not a patch on the Creative Micro and software though). It holds about 200 tunes with ease,
I can resume normal service now - singing as normal with MP3 backing rather than freestyle and get my Micro repaired at my leisure.
Friday, December 29, 2006
Saturday, December 23, 2006
Gardening and Chainsaws
In this job, you have to get involved in all sorts of different things and have to have loads of skills. I am a great believer in training and safety (all important when you are on your own with power tools).
To this aim, I have just completed a chainsaw course. This may seem a little strange as I have been using chainsaws for years and never really thought it necessary, however with Health and Safety legislation and insurance companies looking to not pay out if there is an accident, it is important to get proper training - especially when using tools like chainsaws.
I have always had a very health respect for tools that can Mame or kill you - chainsaws are not very forgiving and every accident is a nasty one. I take safety very seriously and always use Personal Protective Equipment (referred to as PPE ) but its amazing how many people don't. When using dangerous equipment or entering into dangerous tasks I always do a risk assessment to ensure both my safety and anybody Else's safety (or property) is not in question. It not worth taking that short cut - EVER!
The main thing about a training course like this is that it shows you what bad habits you have developed over the years - its quite enlightening to say the least. I do have a few criticisms about the course and the assessment you have to go through, but I did get a lot out of it too. The course itself was 2 days with a 1 day assessment (a bit overkill!) with a pass rate of 95%. I would say this is an ideal course for novice users, even though its a bit expensive (approx £400!!).
I was on the course with a couple of young farm hands and a boat yard owner. As expected, the farm boys produced a chainsaw which should have been condemned about 10 years ago. There were bits hanging off it, the chain was completely knackered and I think it was probably run on diesel! Needless to say we all had a laugh at their expense when the instructor made them take it all apart and replace all worn and dangerous components (almost the cost of a new saw!).
During the assessment one of the lads could not get this ancient thing started. I thought I was going to have a heart attack with laughter - it was like the sketch off Fawlty Towers when Basil couldn't get the car to go....hilarious!! I lent him my saw to do his assessment in the end as we just couldn't stand laughing any more.
I am pleased to say we all passed the course, despite the farm lads chainsaw incident.
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 me for a quote instead!
To this aim, I have just completed a chainsaw course. This may seem a little strange as I have been using chainsaws for years and never really thought it necessary, however with Health and Safety legislation and insurance companies looking to not pay out if there is an accident, it is important to get proper training - especially when using tools like chainsaws.
I have always had a very health respect for tools that can Mame or kill you - chainsaws are not very forgiving and every accident is a nasty one. I take safety very seriously and always use Personal Protective Equipment (referred to as PPE ) but its amazing how many people don't. When using dangerous equipment or entering into dangerous tasks I always do a risk assessment to ensure both my safety and anybody Else's safety (or property) is not in question. It not worth taking that short cut - EVER!
The main thing about a training course like this is that it shows you what bad habits you have developed over the years - its quite enlightening to say the least. I do have a few criticisms about the course and the assessment you have to go through, but I did get a lot out of it too. The course itself was 2 days with a 1 day assessment (a bit overkill!) with a pass rate of 95%. I would say this is an ideal course for novice users, even though its a bit expensive (approx £400!!).
I was on the course with a couple of young farm hands and a boat yard owner. As expected, the farm boys produced a chainsaw which should have been condemned about 10 years ago. There were bits hanging off it, the chain was completely knackered and I think it was probably run on diesel! Needless to say we all had a laugh at their expense when the instructor made them take it all apart and replace all worn and dangerous components (almost the cost of a new saw!).
During the assessment one of the lads could not get this ancient thing started. I thought I was going to have a heart attack with laughter - it was like the sketch off Fawlty Towers when Basil couldn't get the car to go....hilarious!! I lent him my saw to do his assessment in the end as we just couldn't stand laughing any more.
I am pleased to say we all passed the course, despite the farm lads chainsaw incident.
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 me for a quote instead!
Wednesday, December 13, 2006
The Day of the Triffids
Strange title for a gardening blog? This was the message left from Richard at The House of Frames in Newbury regarding some gardening work he wanted doing - "Come and sort my Triffids out please!"
I met Richard when helping my misses Karen of The Best of Newbury and Neale and Sam James of Breathe Pictures with The Best of Newbury Exhibition recently held in the Corn Exchange (and now on show in certain places around Newbury so check it out).
Richard and his team provided the picture framing service for the exhibition and we got chatting (as you do) about his garden and the hedges that needed cutting some day....well that day arrived with this phone call.
We set the date for Monday and all was fine. That was until Monday morning. I took the dogs out for an early morning walk and got absolutely drenched - this was before 7:00am. When I saw the forecast for the remainder of the day, I made the call I hate doing and rained off. Paperwork and indoors for the rest of the day - pooh!
Tuesday was different all together, a bit windy and cool but no rain. I made my way to Wantage to get an early start. I had not seen the job, but Richard described a nice Beech hedge and a few Leylandii that needed a bit of a trim....it shouldn't take too long.
I must say, the house and location was a dream property - an old Farm House and mature gardens - simply beautiful.
I have recently added an extension kit to my Henchman hedge cutting platform which takes it up to about 18 foot, allowing me to safely cut some really big hedges - thankfully I had just thrown this in the back of the truck "just in case" as well as my Husky Pole Saw as the hedges were simply ENORMOUS.
As usual I just cracked on with the hedge cutting until disaster struck - my Creative MP3 player went faulty! Nothing else for it, I had to sing without it, driving the dog mad and the neighbouring cows too.
Anyhow, the hedge was just about finished before darkness fell, with just a few more bits to do on my next visit - about 8 - 10 feet shorter in some places than at the start.
I was also very spoilt, I was given some lovely home made soup for lunch - other customers please take note!
I met Richard when helping my misses Karen of The Best of Newbury and Neale and Sam James of Breathe Pictures with The Best of Newbury Exhibition recently held in the Corn Exchange (and now on show in certain places around Newbury so check it out).
Richard and his team provided the picture framing service for the exhibition and we got chatting (as you do) about his garden and the hedges that needed cutting some day....well that day arrived with this phone call.
We set the date for Monday and all was fine. That was until Monday morning. I took the dogs out for an early morning walk and got absolutely drenched - this was before 7:00am. When I saw the forecast for the remainder of the day, I made the call I hate doing and rained off. Paperwork and indoors for the rest of the day - pooh!
Tuesday was different all together, a bit windy and cool but no rain. I made my way to Wantage to get an early start. I had not seen the job, but Richard described a nice Beech hedge and a few Leylandii that needed a bit of a trim....it shouldn't take too long.
I must say, the house and location was a dream property - an old Farm House and mature gardens - simply beautiful.
I have recently added an extension kit to my Henchman hedge cutting platform which takes it up to about 18 foot, allowing me to safely cut some really big hedges - thankfully I had just thrown this in the back of the truck "just in case" as well as my Husky Pole Saw as the hedges were simply ENORMOUS.
As usual I just cracked on with the hedge cutting until disaster struck - my Creative MP3 player went faulty! Nothing else for it, I had to sing without it, driving the dog mad and the neighbouring cows too.
Anyhow, the hedge was just about finished before darkness fell, with just a few more bits to do on my next visit - about 8 - 10 feet shorter in some places than at the start.
I was also very spoilt, I was given some lovely home made soup for lunch - other customers please take note!
Saturday, December 09, 2006
Commercial Gardening
Not many people know this but as well as doing domestic garden maintenance, I also get involved in commercial gardening too.
I have just completed a garden and car park clearance in the middle of Newbury which included removing the dreaded IVY! I may have mentioned before - I HATE IVY!!
The best thing about removing Ivy is that it is really satisfying when its all down and is going in the shredder - I almost laugh......oops the medication must be wearing off!
Anyway, this company has some really nice people and despite the foul weather I manged to get the ivy off and the front of the building sorted out before the lightning came - I don't mind the rain too much but lightening is another matter. Standing on a steel platform, waving around a 10 foot metal hedge cutter in a storm is not recommended. It was a rare happening for me but I called that a day and went home for a hot bath as the sky lit up and the thunder rolled around the town.
I finished the job on Saturday morning with the help of the ever willing Karen. We were both nursing a very nasty hangover following the BNI Kennet Chapter xmas do - we were by no means the worst ones (eh Neale and Sam!) who for some reason had a Kebab as we were queuing for a taxi - a sure sign of too much booze! Amazingly I have seen no pictures yet but I am sure some will appear at an inappropriate time - I will keep you posted.
Off to the next job..
I have just completed a garden and car park clearance in the middle of Newbury which included removing the dreaded IVY! I may have mentioned before - I HATE IVY!!
The best thing about removing Ivy is that it is really satisfying when its all down and is going in the shredder - I almost laugh......oops the medication must be wearing off!
Anyway, this company has some really nice people and despite the foul weather I manged to get the ivy off and the front of the building sorted out before the lightning came - I don't mind the rain too much but lightening is another matter. Standing on a steel platform, waving around a 10 foot metal hedge cutter in a storm is not recommended. It was a rare happening for me but I called that a day and went home for a hot bath as the sky lit up and the thunder rolled around the town.
I finished the job on Saturday morning with the help of the ever willing Karen. We were both nursing a very nasty hangover following the BNI Kennet Chapter xmas do - we were by no means the worst ones (eh Neale and Sam!) who for some reason had a Kebab as we were queuing for a taxi - a sure sign of too much booze! Amazingly I have seen no pictures yet but I am sure some will appear at an inappropriate time - I will keep you posted.
Off to the next job..
Thursday, December 07, 2006
Getting exposure and new business
Regular readers will know I bang on about my "virtual team" of advisers and helpers who calm me down when I get over excited, pick me up when I am down and give me a place to sound off ideas as well as listen to what they have to say.
Today has been a brilliant day when all good things seem to come together.
Firstly, my PR guru Nigel Morgan of Morgan PR got me in the Newbury Business Review with a big spread - just the thing to give me a boost over the xmas period. As I have said before, unless you know and befriend somebody like Nigel, you will not get the exposure you need. Not only is he well connected, he is good company too!
The second big push for Garden4You was that I officially joined BNI Kennet Chapter today and was sworn in. I have been close to several members over the last year and my other half joined over a year ago for her Internet advertising business, The Best of Newbury . Its has been really good for her. The Chapter has some interesting characters and businesses, most of which compliment each other, therefore helping with referrals etc.
The BNI thing is a bit regimented, but in some ways its a good thing as it really makes you do what you are there to do - network. As a small Newbury based garden maintenance business, regular contact of this type ensures you have a constant stream of leads to deal with which otherwise you would not find - generally I am out all day, every day, so looking for business on my own is hard (I am blessed with a great website and excellent Google rankings as well (thanks to Karen and the "best of"). But its great to have 30 motivated BNI "sales people" working for you without the cost.
If anybody is interested in coming along to our BNI Chapter as my guest, just drop me a line - I went several times as a guest and stand in for other members before I joined and it really made my mind up about doing this.
The other thing I have done this week to market Garden4You is to buy some shirts with my logo on, a roadside display board so people can see who the loony is singing to themselves and magnetic signs for the trusty Land rover - I've now blown my whole marketing budget so now I need to get some work in to pay for it all!
Today has been a brilliant day when all good things seem to come together.
Firstly, my PR guru Nigel Morgan of Morgan PR got me in the Newbury Business Review with a big spread - just the thing to give me a boost over the xmas period. As I have said before, unless you know and befriend somebody like Nigel, you will not get the exposure you need. Not only is he well connected, he is good company too!
The second big push for Garden4You was that I officially joined BNI Kennet Chapter today and was sworn in. I have been close to several members over the last year and my other half joined over a year ago for her Internet advertising business, The Best of Newbury . Its has been really good for her. The Chapter has some interesting characters and businesses, most of which compliment each other, therefore helping with referrals etc.
The BNI thing is a bit regimented, but in some ways its a good thing as it really makes you do what you are there to do - network. As a small Newbury based garden maintenance business, regular contact of this type ensures you have a constant stream of leads to deal with which otherwise you would not find - generally I am out all day, every day, so looking for business on my own is hard (I am blessed with a great website and excellent Google rankings as well (thanks to Karen and the "best of"). But its great to have 30 motivated BNI "sales people" working for you without the cost.
If anybody is interested in coming along to our BNI Chapter as my guest, just drop me a line - I went several times as a guest and stand in for other members before I joined and it really made my mind up about doing this.
The other thing I have done this week to market Garden4You is to buy some shirts with my logo on, a roadside display board so people can see who the loony is singing to themselves and magnetic signs for the trusty Land rover - I've now blown my whole marketing budget so now I need to get some work in to pay for it all!
Monday, December 04, 2006
Interesting Evenings...
Over the last few days, me and the misses have had a few interesting evenings - nothing at all to do with gardening I know, but nevertheless worthy of a mention as gardening at the moment consists of never ending leaf clearance, rain and mud!
The first one was a strange phone call from Neale and Sam James of Breathe Pictures inviting us up for a curry. Nothing too strange about this one would think, however it was an invite up to the studio, not the restaurant. Both the James's and us have entered into a bizarre contest in which we both invent imaginative ways to stitch each other up at any and every opportunity, so suspicions were aroused as to what would await us!
On arrival at the studio, the car park was full of cars - again adding to the suspicions. As we entered the studio, a strange smell of Indian cuisine wafted over. Adam Hillier of Verbatim call Centres and wife Emma, Geraldine Curtis of ICL Office Designs and Sams mum were all there dressed in Christmas decorations and hats, each with an Indian dish being photographed.
Apparently, Breathe Pictures had been commissioned to capture "The 12 days of Christmas" for the Indigo Bay Indian restaurant in Newbury and Neale had composed his own version of it and wanted to represent his version in film.
Needless to say, the draft pictures we saw were brilliant, we all got stitched up big time and our images will be on display in the Indigo Bay for future public humiliation - go and check it out!
Revenge will be sweet. I almost feel sorry for Neale already. Almost.
The second evening we had out was with Nigel Morgan of MorganPR and his wife Di. As regular readers will know, Nigel is my marketing and PR guru and we don't actually get much time to socialise these days so these rare occasions are always welcomed.
On Nigel's recommendation we went to The Bear in Hungerford. How this has changed from my days living in Hungerford. I can still remember the moth eaten stuffed bear in reception which has long gone(my dog attacked this one night - that's another story.....). Now its modern, well laid out and stylish.
We had one of those evenings where the stories exchanged, loads of laughter and good company made the time just fly by. I highly recommend the restaurant. The food was great, the atmosphere was just right and the service was attentive and professional.
It was also Nigel's birthday the next day - I still don't know how old he is but he isn't quite as grey as me yet so I am assuming he must be considerably younger than me - unless he is using a hair colour treatment of course!
Oh well back to leaf blowing then.
The first one was a strange phone call from Neale and Sam James of Breathe Pictures inviting us up for a curry. Nothing too strange about this one would think, however it was an invite up to the studio, not the restaurant. Both the James's and us have entered into a bizarre contest in which we both invent imaginative ways to stitch each other up at any and every opportunity, so suspicions were aroused as to what would await us!
On arrival at the studio, the car park was full of cars - again adding to the suspicions. As we entered the studio, a strange smell of Indian cuisine wafted over. Adam Hillier of Verbatim call Centres and wife Emma, Geraldine Curtis of ICL Office Designs and Sams mum were all there dressed in Christmas decorations and hats, each with an Indian dish being photographed.
Apparently, Breathe Pictures had been commissioned to capture "The 12 days of Christmas" for the Indigo Bay Indian restaurant in Newbury and Neale had composed his own version of it and wanted to represent his version in film.
Needless to say, the draft pictures we saw were brilliant, we all got stitched up big time and our images will be on display in the Indigo Bay for future public humiliation - go and check it out!
Revenge will be sweet. I almost feel sorry for Neale already. Almost.
The second evening we had out was with Nigel Morgan of MorganPR and his wife Di. As regular readers will know, Nigel is my marketing and PR guru and we don't actually get much time to socialise these days so these rare occasions are always welcomed.
On Nigel's recommendation we went to The Bear in Hungerford. How this has changed from my days living in Hungerford. I can still remember the moth eaten stuffed bear in reception which has long gone(my dog attacked this one night - that's another story.....). Now its modern, well laid out and stylish.
We had one of those evenings where the stories exchanged, loads of laughter and good company made the time just fly by. I highly recommend the restaurant. The food was great, the atmosphere was just right and the service was attentive and professional.
It was also Nigel's birthday the next day - I still don't know how old he is but he isn't quite as grey as me yet so I am assuming he must be considerably younger than me - unless he is using a hair colour treatment of course!
Oh well back to leaf blowing then.
Tuesday, November 28, 2006
Extreme Gardening - Customer Comments!
I just received a really great email from the customer of "Extreme Gardening" fame. I want to share this with you:
"Fantastic is the only word I can use to describe the service from Gardens4you - after a last minute panic to prepare our property with 1/2 acre gardens for letting (the last tenants were not 'gardeners' - they certainly didn't lift a finger in the year they were there!) I found the website and emailed Graham, not really expecting a reply as most web-based enquiries systems are under-monitored. Not Graham's! He called within 3 hours and arranged to attend the house 48 hours later to tame the lawns and hedges.
The allotted day didn't dawn - it rained so heavily that it never actually got properly light - but Graham was there in full wet weather gear, attacking the wayward shrubs, hedges and grass in the monsoon. I fully expected him to at least call it off at lunchtime when the rain was still hammering down, but he completely the whole day like a Trojan and got everything we asked for done. A real trooper.
Fantastic job - we will certainly be recommending you - rainy season or not!"
Many thanks,
Jenny
Now I know why I go out in all weathers, face daily danger with hedge cutters, chainsaws, lawn mowers etc - not to mention savage dogs (that's another story!). It's all about doing a great job, getting fantastic feedback from happy customers - and being away from an office of course!
"Fantastic is the only word I can use to describe the service from Gardens4you - after a last minute panic to prepare our property with 1/2 acre gardens for letting (the last tenants were not 'gardeners' - they certainly didn't lift a finger in the year they were there!) I found the website and emailed Graham, not really expecting a reply as most web-based enquiries systems are under-monitored. Not Graham's! He called within 3 hours and arranged to attend the house 48 hours later to tame the lawns and hedges.
The allotted day didn't dawn - it rained so heavily that it never actually got properly light - but Graham was there in full wet weather gear, attacking the wayward shrubs, hedges and grass in the monsoon. I fully expected him to at least call it off at lunchtime when the rain was still hammering down, but he completely the whole day like a Trojan and got everything we asked for done. A real trooper.
Fantastic job - we will certainly be recommending you - rainy season or not!"
Many thanks,
Jenny
Now I know why I go out in all weathers, face daily danger with hedge cutters, chainsaws, lawn mowers etc - not to mention savage dogs (that's another story!). It's all about doing a great job, getting fantastic feedback from happy customers - and being away from an office of course!
Tuesday, November 21, 2006
Gardening by moonlight
I have just completed another nice 2 day clearance job over in Burghfield Common. As usual, it was hard work, but I like clearances the best because it makes such a difference once complete - and you truly see the results instantly.
Most clearance jobs include grass cutting (usually a small jungle), shrub and bush trimming (usually so over grown you expect to find Pygmies living in there) and inevitably the dreaded IVY!
I have come to loath Ivy.
Whenever I see it I want to rip it off the walls and shred it without mercy.
This job had a special twist to make this Ivy job even more difficult - a large shed in the way, making putting a ladder up the apex almost impossible.
An ivy removal can go one of two ways - simple, not too much hassle, comes off in a big sheet and then you have to cut it up to shred it. Others, well they come off it 6 inch strips, stick like glue and are just a nightmare. Guess which one today's was!
The first thing was that I broke my trusted scrapper handle on the first bit, so instead of a hefty 6 foot pole to move even the most stubborn shoot, I was left with an 18 inch, pathetically wimpy little scrapper.
There is nothing more painful than hanging onto a ladder for 3 hours, with a long hook, picking away at very resistant strands of ivy. Your legs go numb. Your arms burn worse than any gym workout. Everything goes in your eyes (even with eye protection on!). All Gods creatures go down your neck - spiders like dinner plates that also bite are common. Choking dust goes down your throat. In fact why do I do this to myself? It must be cos I'm going a little mental!
This job took so long I had to finish in complete darkness - thankfully I did all the ladder work in daylight, but there was no way I could go back to this job tomorrow, so I just got on with it.
Another gardening first for me - I can relate to the term "moonlighting" now!
Note to self - get a torch!?!
Most clearance jobs include grass cutting (usually a small jungle), shrub and bush trimming (usually so over grown you expect to find Pygmies living in there) and inevitably the dreaded IVY!
I have come to loath Ivy.
Whenever I see it I want to rip it off the walls and shred it without mercy.
This job had a special twist to make this Ivy job even more difficult - a large shed in the way, making putting a ladder up the apex almost impossible.
An ivy removal can go one of two ways - simple, not too much hassle, comes off in a big sheet and then you have to cut it up to shred it. Others, well they come off it 6 inch strips, stick like glue and are just a nightmare. Guess which one today's was!
The first thing was that I broke my trusted scrapper handle on the first bit, so instead of a hefty 6 foot pole to move even the most stubborn shoot, I was left with an 18 inch, pathetically wimpy little scrapper.
There is nothing more painful than hanging onto a ladder for 3 hours, with a long hook, picking away at very resistant strands of ivy. Your legs go numb. Your arms burn worse than any gym workout. Everything goes in your eyes (even with eye protection on!). All Gods creatures go down your neck - spiders like dinner plates that also bite are common. Choking dust goes down your throat. In fact why do I do this to myself? It must be cos I'm going a little mental!
This job took so long I had to finish in complete darkness - thankfully I did all the ladder work in daylight, but there was no way I could go back to this job tomorrow, so I just got on with it.
Another gardening first for me - I can relate to the term "moonlighting" now!
Note to self - get a torch!?!
Monday, November 20, 2006
Extreme Gardening - the side effects!
I eventually got my gear dry - ready to face it all again today! I cant believe that I have a whole week of this weather to come - but the customer comes first!
Following my efforts from Friday, there have been a few side effects that I hadn't considered - the worst being aching and shaking hands from the vibration of so much strimming in one hit - or was it the strimming? Let me tell more!
Friday night I crashed and burned - we had no kids and so a few bottles of wine, a silly movie and the blanket (called a blankie in our house) soon saw us both snoring - but it was just what we needed after a long week.
Saturday, I was lucky enough to be invited to a local pheasant/partridge shoot (one of my passions!) by my cousin Paul Rosier of plastering fame. We had a great day (sunny, warm and dry!!) and between us shot most of the bag as the birds just came to us all the time, and we are both good shots of course!
In the evening, me and the misses went out with Neale and Sam James of Breathe Pictures, the guys who have just had a great exhibition in the Corn Exchange with The Best of Newbury.
Neale and Sam are totally great fun and we always end up in a pretty bad way when we all get together, this being no exception of course. If you see Neale, ask him about the bird bath incident, which he totally blames me for. The boy just cant take a few drinks!!
As to the aching hands, it might have something to do with the booze from Saturday, but I think it was the strimmer too. So much so, today I bought some fantastic anti vibration gloves for use with strimmers, chainsaws and other devices that vibrate - these were £30 by Timberland, but if they stop the pain, then great. Talking to Neil at Kalehurst Machines, this is a very common ailment in tree surgeons, especially as the weather gets cold.
I will try these gloves out over the coming weeks and let you know what they are like - for £30 they had better be "the dogs"!
Following my efforts from Friday, there have been a few side effects that I hadn't considered - the worst being aching and shaking hands from the vibration of so much strimming in one hit - or was it the strimming? Let me tell more!
Friday night I crashed and burned - we had no kids and so a few bottles of wine, a silly movie and the blanket (called a blankie in our house) soon saw us both snoring - but it was just what we needed after a long week.
Saturday, I was lucky enough to be invited to a local pheasant/partridge shoot (one of my passions!) by my cousin Paul Rosier of plastering fame. We had a great day (sunny, warm and dry!!) and between us shot most of the bag as the birds just came to us all the time, and we are both good shots of course!
In the evening, me and the misses went out with Neale and Sam James of Breathe Pictures, the guys who have just had a great exhibition in the Corn Exchange with The Best of Newbury.
Neale and Sam are totally great fun and we always end up in a pretty bad way when we all get together, this being no exception of course. If you see Neale, ask him about the bird bath incident, which he totally blames me for. The boy just cant take a few drinks!!
As to the aching hands, it might have something to do with the booze from Saturday, but I think it was the strimmer too. So much so, today I bought some fantastic anti vibration gloves for use with strimmers, chainsaws and other devices that vibrate - these were £30 by Timberland, but if they stop the pain, then great. Talking to Neil at Kalehurst Machines, this is a very common ailment in tree surgeons, especially as the weather gets cold.
I will try these gloves out over the coming weeks and let you know what they are like - for £30 they had better be "the dogs"!
Saturday, November 18, 2006
Extreme Gardening
I have discovered an new sport - Extreme Gardening.
Let me explain more. Yesterday was probably the wettest day this year. Guess who was out in it all day?
I had an urgent enquiry off the internet for a garden clearance and tidy to prepare for letting. The only day it could be done was Friday. I didn't need an alarm clock as the rain was so heavy it woke me - not a good sign. Having loaded up and got soaked, the forecast and prospect for a dry day was not looking great.
On arrival, the rain was so heavy you couldn't see across the garden. I donned my wet weather gear, a full PVC type suit, described by the manufacturer as being the ultimate weather protection, and ventured out to survey the work to be done.
The grass had been described as "being too long for a push mower" - no kidding! It was so long and wet that I had no choice but to strim the lot - hence my first sport - endurance strimming. I can honestly say that I have never strimmed a 1/2 acre of lawn before!
The next event was marathon grass raking - using a strimmer produces a mass of cuttings which needs to be cleared. This event was followed by Tug of War - loading the mass of soaking wet cuttings onto a tarpaulin and dragging them to the mulch heap.
By now, the locals had established there was a new loony in the village. Opposite the cottage was a school which had a constant stream of bemused parents, looking at this PVC clad idiot in the rain, possibly singing to himself (a habit I have developed when using my MP3 player).
In fact as I started to cut the hedges, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a car had stopped. I looked around to see the driver taking a picture of me with a mobile phone! Where will that shot end up - who knows, probably some fetish site for PVC clad people!
Anyhow, job done, happy customer and a new sport created.
Let me explain more. Yesterday was probably the wettest day this year. Guess who was out in it all day?
I had an urgent enquiry off the internet for a garden clearance and tidy to prepare for letting. The only day it could be done was Friday. I didn't need an alarm clock as the rain was so heavy it woke me - not a good sign. Having loaded up and got soaked, the forecast and prospect for a dry day was not looking great.
On arrival, the rain was so heavy you couldn't see across the garden. I donned my wet weather gear, a full PVC type suit, described by the manufacturer as being the ultimate weather protection, and ventured out to survey the work to be done.
The grass had been described as "being too long for a push mower" - no kidding! It was so long and wet that I had no choice but to strim the lot - hence my first sport - endurance strimming. I can honestly say that I have never strimmed a 1/2 acre of lawn before!
The next event was marathon grass raking - using a strimmer produces a mass of cuttings which needs to be cleared. This event was followed by Tug of War - loading the mass of soaking wet cuttings onto a tarpaulin and dragging them to the mulch heap.
By now, the locals had established there was a new loony in the village. Opposite the cottage was a school which had a constant stream of bemused parents, looking at this PVC clad idiot in the rain, possibly singing to himself (a habit I have developed when using my MP3 player).
In fact as I started to cut the hedges, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a car had stopped. I looked around to see the driver taking a picture of me with a mobile phone! Where will that shot end up - who knows, probably some fetish site for PVC clad people!
Anyhow, job done, happy customer and a new sport created.
Monday, November 13, 2006
Leylandii - to be or not to be!
I was on a job today to remove a forest of 30foot tall Leylandii trees which had grown out of control.
This brought back to my mind a debate on these fast growing trees which when kept tame make a great hedge for noise reduction, privacy and lets face it when trimmed properly look great.
Much "blood" has been spilled over the trees; neighbours literally come to blows over these trees and many Court cases have been fought to remove them from blocking light/encroaching etc.
The Law was changed recently to make this more clear; however the onus has now fallen to the victim rather than the perpetrator (seems a common thing these days in our legal system!!).
The law states that no hedge or tree border should exceed 2Metres in height. That's fine but if you complain about your neighbours hedge, it is you who has to pay for removal or shortening. Also, if by trimming the hedge to an acceptable height threatens the life of such a tree, you cant do it anyway!
The world has gone mad once more.
In my view, keep them short and trimmed and you don't get issues - if they are causing grief, cut them down. Life is too short for legal battles afterall.
A big thanks to my old mate Eddie Powers for the use of his excellent chipping machine, and to my other willing helpers today who slaved tirelessly for a few beers at the weekend.
Call me if you want to get advise on these darned trees.
PS Forgot the camera today, so no before or after shots (shame cos these were monsters!)- but there are some happy Turnpike residents tonight, minus their Leylandii problem.
This brought back to my mind a debate on these fast growing trees which when kept tame make a great hedge for noise reduction, privacy and lets face it when trimmed properly look great.
Much "blood" has been spilled over the trees; neighbours literally come to blows over these trees and many Court cases have been fought to remove them from blocking light/encroaching etc.
The Law was changed recently to make this more clear; however the onus has now fallen to the victim rather than the perpetrator (seems a common thing these days in our legal system!!).
The law states that no hedge or tree border should exceed 2Metres in height. That's fine but if you complain about your neighbours hedge, it is you who has to pay for removal or shortening. Also, if by trimming the hedge to an acceptable height threatens the life of such a tree, you cant do it anyway!
The world has gone mad once more.
In my view, keep them short and trimmed and you don't get issues - if they are causing grief, cut them down. Life is too short for legal battles afterall.
A big thanks to my old mate Eddie Powers for the use of his excellent chipping machine, and to my other willing helpers today who slaved tirelessly for a few beers at the weekend.
Call me if you want to get advise on these darned trees.
PS Forgot the camera today, so no before or after shots (shame cos these were monsters!)- but there are some happy Turnpike residents tonight, minus their Leylandii problem.
Sunday, November 12, 2006
Building a business
One of the big challenges facing a small business is finding customers. You can spend thousands on all sorts of things to give you a profile, but which ones are right for you. Trial and error can be an expensive mistake to make - so how do you find the right ones?
I have been fortunate over the years and have come into contact with many marketing ideas and techniques with truly work, however there are a few things I can recommend as outstanding.
The first is to find somebody who know everybody and has huge exposure in your chosen market area, in my case West Berkshire.
I found Nigel Morgan or rather we met at a business networking event. Check out Nigel on www.morganpr.co.uk or visit his blog http://www.morganpr.blogspot.com/. Basically, Nigel knows everybody and is a PR/Media guru who simply must be on your contact list if you work in West Berks. He has and continues to help me constantly.
Another secret to business success is the internet. Unless you have a professional internet presence you will not survive and grow. I have a really good site which doesn't cost a bomb - in fact its self built. Its powered by www.webbuildpro-newbury.co.uk - a local self build website builder and it costs a fraction of the price of any web design company.
Its all very well getting a website but you need traffic and to be found - a common trap is to get an expensive website created for you costing thousands, then wonder why you get no business!
Here's a trick - contact your local "bestof" franchise www.thebestof.co.uk and get on their site without delay.
I am on The Best of Newbury www.thebestof.co.uk/newbury and get loads of traffic sent to my website and directly from my advert (webvert). Its low cost, highly visited and best of all locally run so I know my enquiries are for local work. The bestof get me front page of google searches, virtually all the time at the very top - check it out by typing "garden maintenance Newbury" in your google browser and see what I mean.
Also, start a Blog - my marketing guru Nigel told me to so it must be the right thing to do!! go to www.blogger.com and sign up today.
I have been fortunate over the years and have come into contact with many marketing ideas and techniques with truly work, however there are a few things I can recommend as outstanding.
The first is to find somebody who know everybody and has huge exposure in your chosen market area, in my case West Berkshire.
I found Nigel Morgan or rather we met at a business networking event. Check out Nigel on www.morganpr.co.uk or visit his blog http://www.morganpr.blogspot.com/. Basically, Nigel knows everybody and is a PR/Media guru who simply must be on your contact list if you work in West Berks. He has and continues to help me constantly.
Another secret to business success is the internet. Unless you have a professional internet presence you will not survive and grow. I have a really good site which doesn't cost a bomb - in fact its self built. Its powered by www.webbuildpro-newbury.co.uk - a local self build website builder and it costs a fraction of the price of any web design company.
Its all very well getting a website but you need traffic and to be found - a common trap is to get an expensive website created for you costing thousands, then wonder why you get no business!
Here's a trick - contact your local "bestof" franchise www.thebestof.co.uk and get on their site without delay.
I am on The Best of Newbury www.thebestof.co.uk/newbury and get loads of traffic sent to my website and directly from my advert (webvert). Its low cost, highly visited and best of all locally run so I know my enquiries are for local work. The bestof get me front page of google searches, virtually all the time at the very top - check it out by typing "garden maintenance Newbury" in your google browser and see what I mean.
Also, start a Blog - my marketing guru Nigel told me to so it must be the right thing to do!! go to www.blogger.com and sign up today.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Hedge Cutting tools
One of the best things I have bought over the last few months has been a tool called a Henchman. This is basically a portable hedge cutting platform which allows you to very safely cut hedges without risking life and limb on scaffolding, ladders or other such crazy things - I know a guy who actually straps a scaffold tower to the back of his trailer and cuts his hedges this way - it works so I don't knock it, but HSE would surely have a blue fit!!
The product I bought (they are actually based in Newbury as well so its even better for local business) was from their professional range - the Midi, which allows you to cut hedges up to 11'6" with ease. Some jobs I have won recently require a higher platform than this - so guess what, they provide an extension device which fits the Midi - now I have just added another meter to my platform.
This tool allow one man operation without loads of hassle.
They are expensive and probably out of most pockets, but as a professional tool - its just brilliant and I cannot live without it - check out www.henchman.co.uk and tell them I sent you!
The other great devise I have is my MP3 player - a Creative Zen Micro - I don't leave home without it - the ear pieces fit under my ear defenders as well so I can bop whilst I cut.
The product I bought (they are actually based in Newbury as well so its even better for local business) was from their professional range - the Midi, which allows you to cut hedges up to 11'6" with ease. Some jobs I have won recently require a higher platform than this - so guess what, they provide an extension device which fits the Midi - now I have just added another meter to my platform.
This tool allow one man operation without loads of hassle.
They are expensive and probably out of most pockets, but as a professional tool - its just brilliant and I cannot live without it - check out www.henchman.co.uk and tell them I sent you!
The other great devise I have is my MP3 player - a Creative Zen Micro - I don't leave home without it - the ear pieces fit under my ear defenders as well so I can bop whilst I cut.
Tuesday, November 07, 2006
Japanese Knotweed
I went to look at a really good job today, only to discover the dreaded Japanese Knotweed!
This horrid weed has become the curse of the countryside since its introduction as an ornamental plant in 1800s.
What is it? Well this plant forms dense clumps of undergrowth, reaching upto 3 meters in height. Its large oval green leaves and hollow stem (like bamboo) is a give away, as are the reddish shoots which appear in the spring.
This plant grows at an alarming rate - up to 20mm per day in any type of soil. In the autumn it seeds (luckily sterile) and dies back soon afterwards. It spreads through a system of roots which grow several meters from the main shoots. It also spreads vegetatively ie new plants are created from fragments of existing plants, the real danger of this weed.
It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to plant or otherwise encourage the growth of Japanese Knotweed. This could include cutting the plant or roots and disturbing surrounding soil if not correctly managed.
Any Japanese Knotweed polluted soil or plant material that you discard, intend to discard or are required to discard is classed as controlled waste and must be accompanied by appropriate Waste Transfer documentation.
Spraying and mass root removal are the only effective means of control, following strict guidelines.
In my opinion, control, disposal and removal should only be done by experts to ensure you are conforming to EA regulations, thus avoiding prosecution.
What should you do if you think you have some? Cordon off the area & contact the Environment Agency without delay
This horrid weed has become the curse of the countryside since its introduction as an ornamental plant in 1800s.
What is it? Well this plant forms dense clumps of undergrowth, reaching upto 3 meters in height. Its large oval green leaves and hollow stem (like bamboo) is a give away, as are the reddish shoots which appear in the spring.
This plant grows at an alarming rate - up to 20mm per day in any type of soil. In the autumn it seeds (luckily sterile) and dies back soon afterwards. It spreads through a system of roots which grow several meters from the main shoots. It also spreads vegetatively ie new plants are created from fragments of existing plants, the real danger of this weed.
It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to plant or otherwise encourage the growth of Japanese Knotweed. This could include cutting the plant or roots and disturbing surrounding soil if not correctly managed.
Any Japanese Knotweed polluted soil or plant material that you discard, intend to discard or are required to discard is classed as controlled waste and must be accompanied by appropriate Waste Transfer documentation.
Spraying and mass root removal are the only effective means of control, following strict guidelines.
In my opinion, control, disposal and removal should only be done by experts to ensure you are conforming to EA regulations, thus avoiding prosecution.
What should you do if you think you have some? Cordon off the area & contact the Environment Agency without delay
Monday, November 06, 2006
My Blog
This is my attempt to create a blog, so forgive me if you are experts in this!
I want to try to give visitors an overview of the interesting topics and situations I find myself in everyday - some are hard to believe and very random, some are just typical of a day in the life of a gardener!
Today, I visited a site which was overrun with rats - yes I am a trained pest and rodent controller too!
Recently, the law has changed regarding toxic materials in the environment, rat poison and Aluminum Phosphine gas and the treatment of wildlife (yes even rats!!). This means that the unwary "DIY rat catcher" can expose himself to serious prosecution and fines if he doesn't follow strict guidelines (and prove he has) including risk assessments, COSSH assessments, treatment reports and prove due cause to use toxins.
A recent professional outfit was fined over £35K for failing to follow the guidelines and exercise due care - a passer by found a dead rat on a foot path near the site and forced the HSE to investigate - an expensive lesson to learn!!
Needless to say, prices must reflect the cost of doing it correctly, but it will be cheaper then £35K!!
I want to try to give visitors an overview of the interesting topics and situations I find myself in everyday - some are hard to believe and very random, some are just typical of a day in the life of a gardener!
Today, I visited a site which was overrun with rats - yes I am a trained pest and rodent controller too!
Recently, the law has changed regarding toxic materials in the environment, rat poison and Aluminum Phosphine gas and the treatment of wildlife (yes even rats!!). This means that the unwary "DIY rat catcher" can expose himself to serious prosecution and fines if he doesn't follow strict guidelines (and prove he has) including risk assessments, COSSH assessments, treatment reports and prove due cause to use toxins.
A recent professional outfit was fined over £35K for failing to follow the guidelines and exercise due care - a passer by found a dead rat on a foot path near the site and forced the HSE to investigate - an expensive lesson to learn!!
Needless to say, prices must reflect the cost of doing it correctly, but it will be cheaper then £35K!!
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