Lawn Care and Gardening Questions

In Cambridge, expect from £20 per 100m² with a £40 minimum visit. A small back garden usually lands on the minimum. Adding strimming and edging is £12. A monthly plan takes 10% off. A first cut on an overgrown lawn carries a 50% surcharge for that visit only.

Most UK gardeners charge between £25 and £35 an hour. ELawnCare charges £28 an hour for hand weeding and £28 an hour for standalone strimming, both with a one hour minimum. Mowing is priced by area instead, because area is a fairer measure than time on a lawn.

It is below the going rate in Cambridge, where £25 to £35 an hour is normal. At £20 someone is either cutting corners, not insured, or not declaring the work. Ask for proof of public liability cover before price becomes the deciding factor.

Never cut more than a third of the grass blade in one pass. Taking more shocks the plant, weakens the roots and leaves that scalped yellow look. It is also why a neglected lawn needs two gradual cuts rather than one brutal one.

Roughly November to February in the UK, when growth mostly stops and the ground is too soft to walk a mower over without leaving ruts. An occasional light top in a mild spell is fine. Regular cutting resumes in March.

If the grass is growing and the ground is firm underfoot, yes. From March to October cutting every one to two weeks suits most Cambridge lawns. Avoid cutting wet grass or frozen ground, both of which damage the lawn and leave a poor finish.

Early spring, around March, for the first cut and tidy. For treatment work such as scarifying, aerating and overseeding, aim for March to April or September to October. Those windows give warm soil and reliable moisture, which is what new seed needs.

A full renewal in Cambridgeshire starts at £200 per 100m², covering scarifying, hollow-tine aeration and premium overseed. Lawns of 50m² or under have a £150 minimum. Anything above 300m² is quoted in person after a site visit.

£4 per metre for hedges up to 2 metres and £8 per metre above that, with a £40 minimum visit. Cuttings disposal is £12. The height band reflects the extra time, access equipment and clearing involved rather than an arbitrary surcharge.

March to August is the main bird nesting season, so hedges are checked before any cutting and left alone if a nest is in use. Outside that window, late spring and late summer are the usual times. Fast growers may want a third cut.

It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to damage or destroy an active bird nest. Trimming during nesting season is not automatically illegal, but you must check first. Any responsible gardener will check and reschedule rather than risk it.

There are several established options across Cambridge, and the sensible test is the same for all of them: proof of public liability insurance, published prices rather than vague estimates, and reviews from named local customers. ELawnCare is owner-run, insured to £2 million, and prices every service openly.