GOT A BIG GARDEN CLEARANCE JOB ON YOUR HANDS? HERE'S HOW TO MAKE IT EASIER

Photo: Thirdman, Pexels

Garden clearance is one of those house jobs that split people into two camps: you either love it or hate it! 

Because some people love putting their dungarees on, getting their wellies out, and slipping on the gardening gloves, only to go rifling through organic waste and old bits of wood. 

It fills them with all kinds of creative inspiration, and they have to stop to write down all the different ways they can use the offcuts and plant shoots, and how best to jump-start a compost heap! 

But for others, a garden clearance is the worst kind of job to have to face down. You know the garden needs clearing out and tidying up a bit, but you’re just not sure you've got the time, energy, or even the will to get started. 

After all, you could be in for a full week of scraping out the gutters, blasting away slime and moss, ripping up weeds and roots, making sure there are no wasps or spider nests in the shed, and getting everything packed into the back of the car so you can run it down the dump. 

Ugh, who really wants to get involved with any of that?!

And if that’s how garden clearance feels for you, we’re here to try and help you out. You can make the task ahead a bit easier by breaking it down, setting some limits, and making sure you give yourself something to look forward to! 

Split the Garden into Four Equal Areas

No garden is too big to begin working on. It just feels like it right now, so you’ve got to tackle the root of that feeling before you do anything else. 

To start with, you’re going to need to break the monumental task in front of you into something more bite-sized that you can work your way around. Step by step is always better than just throwing yourself in and getting worn out before you manage anything productive. 

As such, we recommend splitting your garden into 4 equal areas (or portions). And you don’t need to actually get a tape measure out and actually measure the space here. Just eyeball it and separate it out in your mind’s eye. 

When you’ve got your 4 different zones, you can pick one to start on and focus solely on that area until it’s done with. 

Or if You’d Rather, Group Jobs By Type

This is another way to break down the garden clearance task and stop it feeling like a mammoth you have to try and bring down on your own. 

And if the garden work would be a bit too complex, or involve a bit too much back and forth, if it was separated into different areas, group by job type instead. 

For example, first, waste removal. Second, raking leaves. And on and on it can go. Focus on just that one task type at a time and ignore anything else until you’re done with it. 

Avoid Manual Tools

Sure, it’s easy to think you can quickly dig out a border with a hand trowel or chop off those overgrown shoots with a small pair of secateurs. Many a gardener has fallen into this trap before now. 

Because trust us, both of these jobs are bigger than they look! You’re going to need at least an extra 20 minutes to get it done to the standard you’re actually happy with. And even then, you could waste around 10 minutes just getting used to using your tool in the first place.

It’s why you’ll want to avoid manual tools as much as possible. They take more time (and skill) to use, and you’re already on a strict schedule here.

And wired ones, wherever possible!

While we’re on the subject, the same rule should be applied to any gardening equipment that needs to be plugged in as well! They’re more trouble than they’re worth, in terms of how unwieldy they are - and the amount of times you’ll almost trip over the cord. 

Instead, invest in battery powered tools for things like strimming back grass banks and mowing the lawn. The best battery lawn mower will cut a good 20 to 25 minutes off of any lawn care task you need to get done, and that’s the kind of time-saving trick we’re all about!

Give Yourself a Daily Time Limit

You can’t spend the entire day clearing the garden, no matter how much you want to get it done. 

You need to set a limit on the clearance, so you can be sure you’ve got some time to relax and enjoy yourself. 

We recommend 2 to 3 hours per day, and preferably before noon! 

Do Something a Bit More Fun After Every Clearance Task

Once you’ve got a clearance task done, or you’ve completed a zone, give yourself a more fun gardening task to do. 

How about setting up that new mini greenhouse? You know, the one you’ve not been able to stop looking at since it was delivered a few days ago? 

And once it’s up, put some fairy lights around it, paint the shelves inside, and set up all the little plants you’re planning to keep in it. 

Clear Your Garden with Less Hassle

A clear garden is a weight off the mind, but that doesn’t make it any easier to get on with! So let’s try and remove as much of the hassle from the task ahead as possible. 

Section the garden into different job zones and do them one at a time. Make sure you’re using powered tools to get the work to go faster. And never let the day slip away from you when you’re out there. Put a limit on your time and head back inside once the alarm goes off. 

And of course, make sure you’ve got a fun gardening activity to reward yourself with, so you’re always proving to yourself that the hard work was worth it!