Who this guide is for
- Homeowners with landscaping work booked
- People wanting crews to start smoothly
- Anyone protecting planting or features during work
- Owners coordinating access for a garden project
Clear the work area
Remove personal items, furniture, pots, and anything moveable from the area being worked on. A clear site lets crews start without delay and reduces the risk of damage to your belongings.
Confirm with your landscaper what they expect cleared and what they will handle, including any existing planting to be removed.
- Remove furniture, pots, and moveable items
- Clear the area to be worked on
- Confirm what the crew expects cleared
Plan access for the work
Landscaping often needs to move materials, machinery, and waste through your property. Plan a clear access route, consider gates and tight spots, and agree where materials and any skip will go.
Discussing access in advance avoids the costly surprise of a crew unable to get equipment in.
- Clear a route for materials and machinery
- Check gates and tight access points
- Agree where materials and waste will go
Protect what stays
Identify planting, features, and surfaces you want to keep, and agree how they will be protected during the work. Marking what stays prevents misunderstandings once work is underway.
Protecting the parts of the garden and home outside the work zone keeps everything else intact.
Coordinate the household and neighbours
Agree timings, parking, and how pets and children stay clear of the work and machinery. Where access or noise may affect neighbours, a courteous heads-up helps relations.
Clarifying these practicalities keeps the project running smoothly from the first day.
- Agree timings and parking
- Keep pets and children clear of machinery
- Give neighbours notice where appropriate
Garden preparation checklist
- 1Remove furniture, pots, and moveable items
- 2Clear the area to be worked on
- 3Confirm what the crew expects cleared
- 4Plan an access route for materials and machinery
- 5Check gates and tight access points
- 6Agree where materials and waste will go
- 7Mark planting and features to protect
- 8Agree timings and give neighbours notice
Common mistakes to avoid
- Leaving the site cluttered when crews arrive
- Failing to plan access for materials and machinery
- Not marking planting and features to keep
- Overlooking where waste and a skip will go
- Forgetting to notify neighbours about access or noise
- Letting pets or children near working machinery
When to involve a professional
- The work and decisions on feasibility belong to the landscaper you have hired.
- What the crew expects prepared varies; confirm in advance.
- Access and site requirements vary by project and location.
- Costs and timelines vary by garden and scope.
Frequently asked questions
Questions readers ask about this topic
What should I clear before landscapers start?
Remove furniture, pots, and anything moveable from the work area so crews can start without delay. Confirm with your landscaper what they expect cleared and what they will handle, including any existing planting to be removed.
How is this different from preparing for a site visit?
A site visit is about assessment and discussion, so you prepare information and questions. Preparing for the work itself is about physically readying the garden, clearing, access, and protection, before crews begin. They are separate stages.
Why does access matter so much?
Landscaping often moves materials, machinery, and waste through your property, and a crew unable to get equipment in causes costly delays. Plan a clear route, check tight spots and gates, and agree where materials and waste will go in advance.
How do I protect plants I want to keep?
Identify the planting, features, and surfaces you want kept, and agree with the landscaper how they will be protected during the work. Marking what stays before work begins prevents misunderstandings once the crew is underway.
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