To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul." —Alfred Austin
Garden Care
Why work with us?
We are expert gardeners who will thoughtfully care for your garden as if it were our own.
We are committed to your satisfaction and will work with you to achieve an outcome you are happy with.
We are reliable and efficient and will bring our comprehensive knowledge base to advise and care for your garden.
Garden Care
Professional Garden Maintenance in Wellington That Actually Improves Your Soil and Plants
We offer a full range of garden maintenance, pruning, weeding, mulching, composting, planting, green waste removal and fertilising. We don’t just maintain gardens, we improve them over time. If your garden is starting to feel overwhelming, overgrown, or just not working the way it should, we can help.
A lot of Wellington gardens struggle with heavy clay soil, tricky access, wind exposure, and plants that just don’t thrive without the right care. That’s where we can help with our expertise.
We combine arborist knowledge, horticulture, and garden design thinking to maintain your garden in ways that make it bloom better year on year. We offer our services across all Wellington suburbs, Karori, Khandallah, Kelburn, Northland, Ngaio, Wadestown, Wilton and surrounding suburbs.
Services we offer
Weeding
Believe it or not we love weeding. There is nothing we love better than a patch of noxious weeds and there are plenty of those in Wellington! Our gardeners will carefully weed around your precious plants and any seedlings that are coming up.
Pruning and Hedge Trimming
Our gardeners will do any light pruning and small hedge trimming that is needed. For larger hedges and shrubs we will get in our arborists as this is their area of expertise. We generally recommend hedge trimming twice a year in winter and late summer. When we prune, we remove dead or diseased branches, thin out crowded areas, and shape for optimal growth. Feeding and mulching hedges is recommended after trimming to support new growth.
Soil building / fertilising
We use organic methods for fertilising. Compost, mulches, manure, blood and bone to create organic matter for the soil food web and organic fertilisers to support a full range of nutrition. We often layer different organic mulches to improve soil texture especially in Wellington’s heavy clay.
Soil Testing
In order to fully understand the nutritional needs of your garden we can do a soil test. Once we have the results we will create a bespoke plan of organic amendments that will improve the nutritional uptake available to your plants. This will put them in the best health to fight off disease and pests not to mention increase florescence.
Rose Care
We love roses and can offer specialised rose care with an emphasis on healthy soil creation, pruning and winter hygiene. We can guide you on which varieties would suit your garden.
Planting
Our planting is undertaken with precision and care, providing an optimal start for healthy growth. When suggesting plants for your garden we will consider the best plants for your garden depending on the soil and its local climate. We can advise you on which nurseries to obtain new plants for your garden and can order the plants in for you.
Mulching
Mulching is a vital aspect of ensuring good soil health. In nature, soil is never left exposed without mulch. Our favourite mulch is actually a good compost. It will provide nutrients as well as protection for the soil and increase organic matter. We use different mulches depending on what plants are growing in which area. For example, a chipped arborist mulch is best for under trees and scrubs as it encourages fungus which in turn has a symbiotic relationship with tree roots and helps with the uptake of nutrients.
Green waste
We can remove any green waste you need taken away. We take it to the green waste facilities at the tip who then turn it into compost. This is where we get compost (made from the green waste). A virtuous circle that we love. And best of all no plastic bags involved.
Tailored Maintenance Plans
We are happy to do one-off gardening sessions and regular maintenanceon any timeframe that suits you, as well as organise your arboriculture and design needs. We adjust the frequency of our visits over different seasons as the needs of your garden can change.
Initial Clear Outs
We often find that a garden that hasn’t been worked in for a while needs an initial boost of work. We can essentially “working bee” your property back to a good baseline. That often includes trimming, pruning, a big weed, mulching and or composting and maybe some tree work. Whatever you need we can arrange it.
Rental Properties
We can look after the garden and the trees at your rental properties making it hassle free for the landlord and the tenants. Generally, we put rental properties on a regular maintenance schedule but if you need a one off clean up that can be arranged too.
Selling Your House
When you sell your house, you want your garden presented in the best way possible. Overdue garden maintenance or overgrown beds create a negative impression. We can get on top of the maintenance, plant some instant colour, add pots to make entrances appealing and keep the garden looking fabulous the whole time the house is on the market.
Get in touch if you’d like us to come for a garden visit and chat.
Testimonials
“Crispin looks after my garden. She is a very hard worker whose gentle and nurturing attitude to plants and the soil is combined with a wealth of knowledge and an artist’s eye for design and colour. Although Crispin is a much more experienced gardener than I am, I appreciate the way she has taken care to understand what I want from the garden so that it feels like a collaborative exercise. She has brought so much energy, inspiration and knowledge to the task that I feel much more positive about maintaining a challenging section and am very happy to recommend her.” Susannah (Kilbirnie)
“Crispin has done a wonderful job tidying up our gardens. She is reliable, communicates well, and achieves a lot in a short amount of time. It takes a load off my mind to know my gardening is taken care of. I have no hesitation in recommending her.“ Shelly (Kelburn)
“Crispin and her team has been managing my garden for the past two years. They arrived at a time when my garden had been completely abandoned. Somehow they managed to quietly revive it, then restore and transform it in a way that renewed my own enthusiasm. They are great people to deal with: understanding, knowledgable and always smiling. With a few hours maintenance a month, they have lifted my garden from catastrophe to something that brings me delight and for that I’m extremely grateful.” Victoria (Karori)
“Crispin and Max are great! They listen and make suggestions, work together with clients and are machines at ploughing through the work. From hand weeding to tree trimming, they can do it!” Suzanne (Karori)
“We highly recommend Crispin and Max if you need help in your garden or with any tree-work. They work hard and their skill-set is excellent. They're happy to share their knowledge of plants (and how to spot a weed!) in an open, unassuming way. Crispin and Max are very friendly and reliable. Their hourly rate is competitive and their communication is great.” Catherine + Michael (Karori)
“We needed someone to help with our garden from light weeding, care of plants through to adding compost and tree trimming. Crispin's and Max's knowledge of gardening and care taken (even compost was carefully placed) of an established garden has been a bonus. They fit in around what we can and can't do and are very flexible. It now means we get to enjoy our garden much more. We highly recommend them.” Diane (Khandallah)
Faqs
How much does garden maintenance cost in Wellington?
Garden maintenance costs in Wellington can vary depending on the size of the garden, access, and the type of work required. A simple tidy-up will cost less than a full garden reset or ongoing maintenance plan. Most jobs are priced after we have visited your garden so the work can be tailored properly.
What does garden maintenance include?
Garden maintenance usually includes weeding, pruning, hedge trimming, mulching, planting, fertilising, and green waste removal, if needed. It also includes improving soil health and guiding the garden so it actually gets better over time.
Do you offer one-off garden tidy ups?
Yes, one-off garden tidy-ups are a great way to reset an overgrown or neglected garden by giving them a structured tidy-up to bring them back under control. The focus is usually on clearing, pruning, and resetting the structure so the garden is manageable again. From there, you can either maintain it yourself or move onto a regular maintenance schedule to keep it under control. The goal is not just to make the garden look tidy, but to reset it so it’s easier to maintain going forward.
How often should a garden be maintained?
This depends on the garden and your expectations. In Wellington, most gardens benefit from maintenance every 2–4 weeks during the growing season, and less frequently over winter. Regular visits prevent the garden from getting overwhelming.
Do you take away green waste?
Yes, if need it to be taken away.
Do you work with Wellington’s clay soil?
Yes working with Wellington’s clay soil is a big part of what we do. Many Wellington gardens struggle with heavy clay soil. Improving it with organic matter, mulch, and the right planting approach makes a huge difference over time.
What’s the difference between a gardener and an arborist?
A gardener focuses on planting, pruning, and maintaining the overall garden, while an arborist specialises in tree care. Having both skill sets means your garden is managed as a whole from the soil right up to the tree canopy. And of course we can also revamp your garden with a design.
Will regular maintenance improve my garden?
Yes, if it’s done properly. Good garden maintenance isn’t just about keeping things tidy, it’s about improving soil, guiding plant growth, and creating a garden that becomes easier to manage and looks better over time.
Do you offer ongoing garden maintenance plans?
Yes, ongoing maintenance can be tailored to your garden and how you use it. This could be regular visits or seasonal work, depending on what’s needed.
Why would I need soil test?
It is impossible to guess what is missing from soil and what amendments are actually needed. A soil test removes guessing and tells you what is actually missing. Once a soil test is done we will create a recipe of organic amendments that will balance the nutrients in your soil. This is like creating a bespoke pantry for your plants.
In turn your plants will bloom to full capacity and fight off pests and diseases. Just like the human body a healthy plant is able to fight off diseases which removes the need for spraying pesticides.
We have had success with this method in gardens that have had pest attacks that have been unable to be controlled.
I need help with my roses? I'm not sure what I'm doing.
We are experienced rose gardeners, having grown them for 20 years and are happy to take over your rose care. We are also just as happy to teach you how to care for your roses if you’d like to do it yourself.
Do you remove Agapanthus? I have a whole bank of them!
Yes we can! We have lads with mattocks who love nothing better than getting a workout removing agapanthus.
How do I get started?
The best place to start is with a garden visit. That way the garden can be properly assessed, and a plan can be put together that suits your space, budget, and goals.
