Garden clean-ups in Sydney's Hills DistrictWeeding, cutting back and green waste

A garden clean-up takes an overgrown yard back to tidy in one visit. That usually means beds weeded by hand, shrubs and low branches cut back, leaf litter and bark raked out, weeds pulled from paths and gravel, lawn and bed edges trimmed, and the paths and driveway blown clean. The quote lists exactly what is included and how the green waste is handled. Trees that need an arborist and herbicide spraying are not part of it.

It depends on the size of the garden and how far it has got away. A front yard tidy with a couple of beds can be a few hours. A full back garden that has not been touched in a year or more can take the crew a full day, sometimes longer. We give you an expected time on the quote, so you know whether to plan around us for a morning or a whole day.

Mulch helps a lot, but only on a clean bed. A layer of 50 to 75 millimetres blocks the light most weed seeds need to sprout and keeps the soil moist through summer. Put it over existing weeds and they grow straight through. That is why we do the clean-up first. Our soft landscaping and mulching page covers what goes on after, and nutgrass and oxalis will still push through in time.

We agree that on the quote, before any work starts. Depending on the job and the amount, the green waste is either taken away by us or bagged and stacked for your green bin, and the quote says which. Weeds with bulbs or seed heads are bagged either way, so they do not end up back in your garden. If you have a preference, tell us when you request a quote.

Your green-lid bin is the first stop for garden waste in the Hills Shire, and the council also runs bulky waste collections that can take bundled branches. Rules, bundle sizes and booking details change, so check The Hills Shire Council website, or your own council if you live in Blacktown, Parramatta or Hornsby, before you put a pile on the kerb. For a bigger clean-up, ask us to quote it with the green waste included.

Garden waste should go in the green-lid bin, not the red general waste bin. Green bin waste is processed into compost and mulch, while red bin waste goes to landfill, and councils ask residents to keep the two apart. Small amounts of weeds with seed heads or bulbs are the exception some councils make, so check your council's guide. For a big clean-up, more than a bin or two of waste, it is easier to have it handled as part of the job.

Garden material: grass clippings, leaves, prunings, small branches, weeds and dead plants. Most councils do not want soil, rocks, timber, plastic pots or bagged waste in the green bin, because it all goes to be composted. Each council has its own list, so check The Hills Shire Council or your own council's guide. On a clean-up we sort as we go, so only true garden waste ends up in your bin or leaves with us.

A pile bigger than a couple of green bins usually means a council bulky waste booking, a trailer and a trip to a green waste drop-off, or a skip. If the waste is coming out of a clean-up anyway, the simplest option is to have it taken away as part of the job. On blocks in Dural or Glenhaven after a storm, that is often most of the work. Ask for it on your garden clean-up quote and the quote will say exactly how it is handled.

Garden clean-ups are priced job by job, because the size of the garden, how overgrown it is, the amount of green waste, access and the cutting back all change the time on site. We aim to stay competitive with other Hills District crews, and we lock in the exact price before we start. Send a couple of photos and your suburb through our free quote form and we will come back the same day.

Yes. Book a few days before the inspection so there is time to fix anything the agent flags. We weed the beds, trim the edges, clear the leaf and blow the paths down, and pairing it with a driveway pressure clean covers the outside in one visit. If the lease says the lawn has to be mown, add a mow to the same visit.