Not everyone is born with green fingers…we certainly weren’t! If you are struggling with your garden but don’t need a full time gardener, then we can help with our supportive garden visits and wildlife garden plans.
A garden consultation or mentoring session makes a fabulous birthday or Christmas present! To send someone the gift of good gardening advice, contact us here.
Consultancy
We will join you in your garden for a friendly face-to-face consultation. We can discuss maintenance, planting and gardening for wildlife, and we are here to help if you need to identify unknown plants or want some pointers on how to garden organically. What you ask is totally up to you!
If you would struggle to remember everything we say, don’t worry. We can send you notes on our visit, with a list of the plants we mention so you don’t have to wrangle with all the Latin names yourself. Whatever the topic, we will point you to further information and the best books to buy if you want to deepen your knowledge.
Mentoring
Sometimes, practical experience is best. If you want to get your hands dirty and learn the best way to prune roses, dig a pond or split perennials, we can show you how with one-to-one mentoring. We will garden alongside you, demonstrating the best techniques and leaving you with the confidence to take on the task next time.
We are very happy to make a single visit or to arrange multiple sessions through the year as needed. And just like our consultancy, we can write up notes for you to refer to later.
Wildlife garden plans
Our wildlife garden plans help you turn your garden into a haven for wildlife, from the soil up. Starting with a face-to-face visit, we will discuss any ideas or hopes you have for your garden. Then, taking into account the existing structure and planting, we will produce a plan of action for your garden that you can keep and refer to in future.
Our reports are highly valuable for new gardens or gardeners. They are especially useful if you would like to work on your own garden, but aren’t sure where to start. The plan is not a garden design. Rather it is a reference point for you to make the best decisions in the future, whatever you decide to do. However, we will certainly make suggestions about the types of planting that suit your conditions or the best placement of garden habitats like ponds, meadows and trees.
We cover:
- Your garden’s aspect
- Average rainfall and sun hours
- Soil pH, texture, type, organic matter content and nutrient availability (Mg, K & P) with professionally analysed samples
- Local hydrology, typical habitats and natural soil fertility associated with your soil type
- Connectivity of your garden to local habitats and identification of species of special interest in the area
- Annual plans for applying organic soil amendments to deal with nutrient or pH imbalance (if necessary)
- Practical adaptations to support wildlife and associated maintenance schedules
- A discussion of possible planting ideas and new garden habitats
Pricing
Consultancy and mentoring is £50 per hour, as is any additional time for producing notes. We are happy to make one off visits, or several per year if you need more support. Wildlife Garden Plans start at £300, depending on the size of the garden and the level of detail required.
If you want to book us in for a visit or would like to discuss anything further, including paying for consultation or mentoring as a gift, please get in touch.
FAQs
Can you teach me how to garden? Yes! We love teaching people about gardening and wildlife. You just need to decide if you would like us to write up notes for you afterwards too.
Where do you work? We work in and around Nottingham.
Do you undertake tree surveys, garden surveys relating to insurance and legal issues or ecological surveys? No. We are horticulturists providing general advice for a garden context. For these issues and more, you should contact a relevant expert. You can find consultants on the Arboricultural Association website, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors or the Chartered Institute of Ecology and Environmental Management.
Ellies Wellies Organic Gardening 