Expertise and Experience

Hello, I’m Karen. Reliable, friendly and knowledgeable, I have been working professionally in gardens in the Bristol area since 2018, and I specialise in designing & maintaining borders & beds, and pruning roses, shrubs and fruit trees. I became enthusiastic about horticulture in 2010, and have since completed RHS Levels 2 and 3, as well as courses in Forest Gardening and Orchard & fruit tree care. I love experimenting with colour and plant combinations.

I like to start by carrying out an initial survey, identifying the plants, and making a map of your garden. This provides a useful basis to talk through what is working and what problems need to be resolved, and it may lead to a new design for some areas. I can also make a personalised maintenance schedule so you do the right job at the right time whether you have a gardener or not.

I can offer expertise in:

  • Regular maintenance of gardens & grounds, including private, shared & commercial areas
  • Pruning, training, topiary or regeneration of shrubs and perennials
  • Giving advice on how best to maintain your garden
  • Planting and plant sourcing
  • Border maintenance and weeding
  • Vegetable tending and bulb planting
  • Hedge trimming (up to 6 feet high)
  • Timely pruning of fruit bearing trees to maximise yield
  • Pest & disease identification and guidance on management
  • Creating wildflower meadows and wildlife friendly areas

I can also carry out an initial garden survey, identify any unknown plants, and make a map of your garden. This enables me to design a personalised maintenance schedule for your garden so that you do the right job at the right time whether you have a gardener to advise you or not.

Become an expert in your garden

You may know your garden better than anyone, but it can still be useful to fill in gaps in your knowledge, so that you can look after your garden better. Whether you want regular maintainance of your garden or not, I can provide you with the following:

Map of your garden

Before changing anything, it’s helpful to know what is there, deciding what is working and what you want to change. It’s also helpful to identify mystery plants so they can be pruned or moved at the best time of year, and to know the dimensions of beds and borders so that plants are given the right amount of space to grow.

Plant list

I can prepare a list of your plants on a Excel spreadsheet, and make suggestions for new additions that will fit with your preferences and existing planting.

Monthly jobs

Perhaps the most common mistake people make with their gardens is to do things like pruning at the wrong time of year, or to forget to do them, and then have to wait until next year. I can provide you with a list of jobs to do through the year, personalised for your garden. A helpful reminder so that you can care for your own garden.

Pruning fruiting trees

I’ve completed the Orchard Learning Programme at Horfield Organic Orchard, and can carry out or advise you on pruning your apples, pears, plums etc, with the aim of keeping them fruiting reliably, and in good health.