The Green Industry's Resource Center

helen · #1 04-12-2010, 12:51 PM

My name is Helen and I run a small mowing and gardening business in the south of England, United Kingdom. I used to work for a larger landscape contracting business, but they folded when they lost their biggest customer. I decided to start up on my own, just doing small mowing and gardening jobs for private householders,mostly elderly and retired folk. This is my second season in business and most of my new customers have been referred by word of mouth - I have hardly advertised at all. Many elderly people feel vulnerable and seem to like having the services of a lady gardener.
You big boys from North America would probably fall about laughing at the size of my mowers. Many of you seem to run 48" machines, but I operate with nothing bigger than 18" and 21" push mowers - well not strictly push as they have power drive, but I have to walk behind them just the same. I have an Efco trimmer (Italian I think) and a Ryobi split shaft trimmer (which never goes out because it is almost impossible to start). I also have a Efco hedge cutter and Jonsered chainsaw (a little one!). A couple of my smaller mow jobs involve going up flights of narrow steps to reach the lawn and for these I have a 17" lithium ion battery mower (Bosch) which comes with two batteries which each run for 45 minutes between charges. This mower is incredibly light to lift and push, but would obviously not be suitable for use on anything but these two jobs with special requirements.
Looking through some of the past threads it looks as though the point has already been made that British lawns are different from North America. Here the grass grows fairly lush and people like their lawns to be cut short, with the grass bagged each time.
That's all I've got time for now, please ask any questions you like,
helen.