Frequently Asked Questions

We're Horticulturists, not general gardeners. Every member of our team is trained to our standards with specialist knowledge in different areas - from arboriculture to ornamental horticulture to edible gardening. We've also made a genuine commitment to sustainability: battery-powered tools, electric vans, peat-free growing media, and no pesticides or herbicides. We invest in fair pay to attract and retain the best people, and we approach every garden with the same rigour and integrity we'd apply to any professional service.

We serve clients throughout South Cheshire and Staffordshire. If you're unsure whether you're in our service area, please get in touch and we'll be happy to let you know.

The first step is always a free consultation. You can book by calling us on 01270 447666, emailing hello@email.greenhearthort.co.uk, or completing the contact form on our website. We'll respond within one business day.

During the consultation, one of our senior Horticulturists will visit your garden. We'll walk your space with you, understand your goals and priorities, assess what the garden needs, and discuss which of our services would be the best fit. We'll answer all your questions honestly - there's no obligation to proceed.

Flexi Care is our pay-per-visit service: you book us when you need us, pay after each visit, and there's no ongoing commitment. Monthly contracts (Classic, Signature, and Prestige) involve a 12-month agreement with a flat monthly payment. We assess everything your garden needs across the whole year and spread that into a fixed monthly fee. Contracts work best for gardens that need consistent care and for clients who want their garden to genuinely improve over time, rather than just be kept tidy.

Classic is our foundational maintenance contract: reliable, consistent execution of all essential horticultural tasks with fixed visits and a consistent team. Signature adds quarterly planning visits (four times a year we walk the garden together to plan the next quarter) and professional planting advice. Prestige is our most comprehensive tier, adding monthly planning visits, a 15% discount at Green Heart Community Nursery, and trade-price plant sourcing.

All contracts are 12 months. There's a one-month review period during which you can cancel and only pay for that month. After the first month, you can cancel at any time but become liable for your current month plus one month as a cancellation fee. This cancellation fee exists because we often do more work in high-season months than we're charging for in any given month - it's the only way we can commercially offer a flat monthly rate.

Yes. We assign a consistent team to your garden so that the people caring for your space know it well. Whilst staff holidays and sickness occasionally mean a different team member may visit, that will very much be the exception rather than the rule. Consistency is important to us - for both the garden and the relationship.

Usually within a couple of weeks, depending on the work required and our diary availability. We'll give you an indication of the likely start date at the consultation, and confirm an exact date following acceptance of our quotation.

Yes. Our specialist services are available as standalone bookings. You'll receive a free consultation to assess the work required, followed by a fixed-price quotation. There's no obligation to proceed, and no requirement to be an existing maintenance client.

Wisteria needs pruning twice a year: in winter (February) and summer (July/August). Both prunings matter equally for spectacular flowering. We recommend getting in touch around one month before each window to arrange your visit. We won't prune Wisteria outside these seasonal windows, as it would damage your plant's flowering.

Timing depends on the tree type. Apple and pear trees are best pruned in winter (January is ideal) when the tree is dormant. Stone fruit - cherry, damson, apricot, plum - must only be pruned in summer (July is ideal). Winter pruning of stone fruit dramatically increases the risk of silver leaf disease. These timing windows are not flexible; they're based on the tree's biology.

Absolutely. If you're unsure whether your tree needs formative pruning, maintenance pruning, or renovation, or if you're not sure what's wrong with your Wisteria, a free consultation is the perfect starting point. We'll assess your plant, explain what we see, and recommend the right approach.

Pricing is based on the size of your garden, the work required, the frequency of visits, and the complexity of the tasks. For maintenance contracts, we calculate the total hours your garden needs across the whole year and divide that into a flat monthly payment. We provide clear, upfront quotations before any work begins. There are no hidden extras.

We prefer bank transfer. We also accept cash. Card payments are available, but we prefer bank transfer whenever possible. Invoices are payable within 7 days of issue.

No hidden extras. The quotation we provide is what you'll pay. The only additional costs that can arise are for work outside your agreed scope - for example, if you ask us to source plants from external suppliers, there is a 20% sourcing fee (unless you're on the Prestige tier, which has a trade-price arrangement). We'll always discuss any additional costs before proceeding.

Prestige clients receive a 15% discount on all plants purchased through Green Heart Community Nursery. We don't offer general discounts, as our pricing already reflects the quality of expertise and service we provide.

We use battery-powered commercial-grade tools, electric vans, peat-free growing media, and a commitment to avoiding all pesticides and herbicides. Environmental responsibility is woven into every decision we make - from how we travel to how we dispose of green waste.

No. We never use pesticides or herbicides. We manage pests, weeds, and diseases through cultural horticultural practices - the right plant in the right place, good soil health, appropriate pruning, and early intervention when problems arise.

We remove all green waste from your garden and ensure it is composted or disposed of responsibly. We'll discuss the best approach for your specific situation during the consultation.