Garden weeding in Dorking

Hand-weeded, mulched and properly planted borders, whichever Dorking soil you’ve got.

Garden weeding in Dorking is easier on some streets than others. On the light, sandy greensand, weeds come out roots and all with a gentle tug. On the Gault clay down by the brook, the same dandelion snaps off at the crown and is back in a fortnight. We weed by hand and we get the roots, which is slower than hoeing the tops off but means you don’t see the same weeds next month.

Then we keep the borders full: mulching, cutting back, lifting and dividing tired perennials, and putting in bulbs and seasonal colour. A border with no bare soil gives weeds nowhere to start. If you’ve searched for garden weeding services near me from a Dorking postcode, this is the job.

Garden weeding and mulch on sand and clay

On sandy ground a good layer of mulch is mostly about water. Greensand drains fast and doesn’t hold on to nutrients, so a few centimetres of compost each year keeps moisture in and feeds a soil that’s always a bit hungry. On clay it earns its keep another way. Worked in by worms over a few years, it opens the soil up so it’s less sticky in winter and cracks less in summer. Either way it smothers weed seedlings. We’d mulch in late winter or early spring, onto damp soil, straight after a thorough weed.

Planting that copes with Dorking ground

Plant to the soil and the border largely looks after itself. On drier greensand, lavender, rosemary, salvias and grasses thrive where thirsty plants sulk. On clay, roses, asters and hardy geraniums do well and appreciate the moisture. Gardens on the chalky north-western fringe, out towards Denbies, suit scabious, pinks and other lime-lovers. When something keeps failing, we’ll suggest a swap rather than replant the same thing year after year.

Borders & Planting in Dorking: your questions

Anything else, just ring. You’ll speak to the people who do the work.

Can you just do the weeding?

Yes. Plenty of people look for gardeners who do weeding and nothing else, and that’s fine. We’ll weed on a regular visit, usually fortnightly or monthly in the growing season, and take everything away.

Do you use weedkiller?

We weed by hand. It’s slower, but it gets the roots out, and nothing goes onto the soil near your plants, pets or children.

Will you plant things for me?

Yes: seasonal bedding, bulbs, containers and fillers for gaps in the border. We’ll suggest plants that suit your soil and how much sun the bed gets, and we’re happy to plant things you’ve chosen yourself.