An overgrown garden can feel overwhelming, whether it's a rental between tenants, a property going on the market or a yard that simply got away from you. Working in the right order turns a big job into a manageable one.
1. Walk the garden first.
Decide what stays and what goes before anything is cut. Mark plants worth keeping, and note hazards such as broken glass, old timber, wasp nests or uneven ground. In the warmer months, take care in long grass and around piles of debris: snakes are active across Melbourne's northern fringe from spring to autumn.
2. Cut down long grass and weeds.
Bring very long grass down in stages so you can see the ground and anything hidden in it. Pull or cut weeds before they set seed, otherwise the clean up plants the next crop.
3. Prune, clear and remove.
Cut back overgrown shrubs, clear dead plants and rake out leaf litter. Doing the higher work before the ground-level tidy means you only rake once.
4. Deal with the green waste.
A big garden clean up produces more green waste than most people expect. Options include filling the green-waste bin over several collections, taking loads to a council transfer station, or having it removed as part of the job. Mitchell Shire Council (Wallan and Beveridge) and Hume City Council (Kalkallo) list current services and fees on their websites.
5. Mulch so it stays clean.
Bare soil after a clean up is an open invitation for weeds. Mulching cleared beds straight away, then following up with a few regular visits, stops the garden sliding back to where it started.
Want a hand with it? See garden clean-ups in Wallan, Beveridge and Kalkallo.
Also worth reading: How to get an accurate garden maintenance quote, Regular gardener or one-off tidy-up: which makes more sense?.