Give your grounds a winter makeover – without getting your hands dirty

It's cold outside and the last thing most of us would consider doing is popping out to the garden for a potter around –especially when it’s a work premises.

It seems pointless to get cold and muddy in an outside space and there are much more important things to be getting on with indoors – like running a business.

However, these outside spaces are often the first impressions visitors and clients get of a business – if they are overgrown and unkempt it doesn't put the company in a good light.

Despite the cold, winter is the ideal time to get a start on many parts of grounds maintenance, making sure everything is neat and tidy before the spring growing season starts and weeds become a much bigger job to tackle than they might be now.

Now is the time to act and make sure everything prepared so that those spaces are looking their best by the time spring arrives.

And thanks to our experts at Elevate FM, you don’t have to get your hands dirty. Our grounds maintenance team can take care of everything, from jet-washing patios to removing Japanese knotweed.

One of the first jobs to be done is weeding and jet-washing patios and paths, removing moss that has grown over the damp days of autumn and cleaning up all the stone work.

Any remaining fallen leaves should be cleared from lawn areas to avoid the grass beneath being damaged. Damp leaves should also be removed from drains and gutters before they cause a blockage and from paths, where they could become a slip hazard.

The end of winter is also prime time for pruning. Bushes and hedges can be thinned out and shaped, making sure they are tidy and ready for new growth.

Dead foliage and stems should also be cleared from borders and plant beds to prevent rot and promote new growth, and soil should be dug over. Moles are active at the start of the year, and any molehills should be flattened now, before the grass cutting season begins.

Work should also be carried out to protect young trees and shrubs from the worst of any snowfall and frost during this season. Grit and salt boxes should be stocked up ahead of any forecast snowfall.

This is also the time to finish off any outstanding repairs to fences, gates and outdoor furniture.

And of course, we shouldn't forget that wildlife can suffer during the winter months, so a bit of food and water for birds and other creatures wouldn't go amiss.

Our grounds maintenance and environmental management experts can help with all aspects of this outdoor work - grass cutting, vegetation clearance, tree surgery, landscaping and weed management, as well as dealing with nesting birds, bats and other wildlife.

Japanese knotweed in particular can cause huge problems, but we are a specialist contractor and registered waste carrier, which means we can skilfully and safely remove the weed from site and dispose of it safely.

Your grounds are safe in the hands of our expert staff - why not let them venture out into the cold while you stay inside in the warm?