Maintaining a garden is enjoyable and has many health benefits. It is easy to spend hours in the garden; therefore, it is best to do little and often where possible.
Homebase have created a Garden Diary, highlighting key garden jobs to do month by month to help maintain a healthy garden. View the Garden Diary playlist.
Lawns
Garden lawns benefit from regular mowing. Cutting grass once or twice a week will promote a healthy lawn and restrict weed growth. Raking out moss, removing weeds by the root and scattering grass seed will also help thicken the lawn. There are many products available which will help eliminate moss and weeds and feed the lawn.
You could also consider planting/scattering wildflower seeds in patches to help support bees and insects, and increase native biodiversity.
Click the video below for advice on how to care for your lawn.
Trees in your garden
Prune back tree branches that overhang your neighbours as much as possible. Regular pruning should prevent trees from becoming unmanageable. You should cut back tree branches that are near your property and other properties to help prevent damage. Autumn/winter, in advance of the growing season, is a good time to prune. Please bear in mind, that it is illegal to disturb nesting birds, so when pruning ensure you check trees for nests before undertaking any work, especially between March and August.
If you have a tree in your garden that you are unable to prune, you will need to employ a private gardener. Trees in gardens are the responsibility of the tenant, see our tree policy for further information.
If you have a tree in your garden that is dangerous, we may be able to assist you but this will incur a charge. In this case, please contact us to discuss.
Trimming hedges
Hedges are a great natural way to define boundaries and house wildlife. To keep them tidy, at the right size and remaining healthy, it is important to trim hedges.
Please note, birds often nest in hedges and it is illegal to disturb nesting birds. Nesting season can run from March to August so ensure you check hedges before doing any work.
Read advice on how to trim a hedge and the tools to use.
Gardening club
The gardening club is for people who receive disability-related benefits and who physically cannot look after their gardens. You also need to have a clear rent account to join.
The service includes 2 visits a month and a total of 16 visits per season to cut grass and hedges, manage shrubs, and weeding. The service runs from March to October and each visit lasts no longer than 1 hour.
This service is payable weekly for 52 weeks of the year. Selwood Housing also fund this service to support customers in need of help. The service has limited spaces available and once full, there is a waiting list. Read more about the criteria for joining and the latest updates on our gardening club webpage.
