Gardeners in Addlestone.

Take stock before changing the garden

Photograph each bed and any labels, supports or stored materials left at the property. Mark plants you recognise and those you want assessed before removal. A first visit in New Haw or Row Town could focus on restoring access and making the lawn usable while you decide the longer-term layout. Ask for a list of what will remain, especially where a request to clear the garden could otherwise include established planting you later want to keep.

A move within Runnymede needs an explicit subscription transfer

Runnymede’s current cancellation and moving guidance says customers moving within the borough can transfer their garden-waste subscription, but must notify the council and move their bins to the new address themselves. Do not assume the old collection follows automatically or that a bin left by a previous resident confirms your new arrangement. Check the address-specific service before asking a gardener to leave the first visit’s eligible cuttings for council collection.

Source: Runnymede Borough Council — moving a garden-waste subscription →

Separate inherited material from the new visit’s cuttings

Old bags can contain more than green waste. Show their condition and any visible contents without opening anything unsafe, and ask the provider to assess uncertain material before including it in removal. Make clear whether emptying planters, dismantling abandoned items or removing an old pile is part of the request. This lets you compare the cost of dealing with the handover separately from the ongoing mowing and weeding you actually need.

Plan the first month around the household move

Tell the gardener about delivery days, stored furniture and access that may change as you settle in. Decide which entrance must remain available and whether work can proceed while nobody is home. If a planting plan will come later, agree a limited first scope that does not pre-empt it. Send your new Addlestone-area postcode and photographs through WhatsApp to check suitable participating providers and appointments for the defined work.