Garden and tree surgery questions, answered for Harrogate and Nidderdale

Hocus Crocus is based near Knaresborough and covers Harrogate and its surrounding villages, Knaresborough, Nidderdale, Ripon, Killinghall, Boroughbridge, Wetherby, Hampsthwaite and Birstwith, Summerbridge and Pateley Bridge, along with the villages between them and out into the Dales. The full list of towns and villages is on our areas we cover page.

It starts with a visit. Gardens and trees are difficult to price accurately from a photograph, so we come and look, talk through what you want, and give you a price for the work in front of us. The quote is free and there is no obligation. Every job is treated individually and priced on what it needs rather than read off a standard rate card.

Usually yes. Trees in a conservation area are protected, and the council normally has to be given six weeks of written notice before pruning or felling, under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Karen will tell you at the quote if your tree looks to be covered, and give you guidance on what the council needs. The notice itself is submitted by the owner, not by us.

A Tree Preservation Order is a council order that makes it an offence to cut down, top, lop or otherwise damage a protected tree without written consent. If your tree is covered by one, consent has to be in place before any work starts. Karen will give you guidance on how to check and what consent involves, and we will not start on a protected tree until that consent is in your hands.

BS 3998 is the British Standard for tree work. The current edition, BS 3998:2010 from BSI, replaced the 1989 version and took effect on 31 December 2010. It sets out how operations such as crown reduction, crown lifting, thinning and deadwooding should be carried out so that the tree recovers rather than declines. All Hocus Crocus tree work is NPTC approved to BS 3998.

It can. Nidderdale was designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty in 1994, covering 60,117 hectares, and it is now known as the Nidderdale National Landscape. On designated land like this, permitted development rights are tighter and councils look more closely at tree work and larger landscaping schemes. We will tell you at the quote if your job needs a conversation with the council first.

Cut outside the main nesting season, which runs roughly from March to August, or have the hedge checked first. It is an offence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981 to damage or destroy the nest of a wild bird while it is in use or being built. Karen is an ecological risk assessor, so nesting is checked before a hedge job goes ahead. Seasonal contracts book the cut for the right time of year.

Yes to both. Hocus Crocus is fully insured and DBS checked, which is what allows the team to work on car parks, public spaces, farmland, high risk sites, sports grounds, utilities, restaurants, commercial premises, residential lettings, hospitals and schools as well as domestic gardens. Karen is also IOSH certified, so the health and safety side of a job is planned rather than improvised on the day.

Yes. Karen has worked across domestic, commercial and high risk sites for 28 years, since 1998, and Hocus Crocus offers a complete grounds maintenance and lawn service for commercial and domestic customers. That covers scheduled visits to business premises, schools, hospitals, sports grounds, farmland, lettings and public spaces. Tell us the site and how often it needs attention and we will price it.

It depends on the season and the size of the job. Spring and early summer are the busiest weeks of the year for any gardener, and tree work sometimes has to wait for the right conditions or for council consent to come through. We will give you a realistic date at the quote rather than an optimistic one, and we will tell you honestly if there is a wait.

Yes. Our pond cleansing service keeps an eco friendly work ethic where nature takes priority, so natural habitats are preserved. You can order water plants from us to encourage more wildlife into your pond. A jet washing service is also available for ponds, edging, stonework and water features.

Hocus Crocus keeps the use of glyphosate to a minimum and uses a harmless organic weedkiller where it can. We are committed to being ecologically aware and environmentally friendly, and will promote planting for bees, insects and wildlife wherever possible. Garden waste is removed and disposed of in an eco friendly way. Full NPTC pesticides licences are held for the treatments that do need them.

Both. Maintenance plans and contracts are tailored to what you need, from a single tidy up or an overgrown garden cleared, through to fortnightly visits or a fixed price mowing service across an agreed number of visits in the year. Regular lawn mowing works out better value, but there is no obligation to sign up to anything.

Yes to both. A new build garden usually starts with compacted subsoil and thin topsoil, so soil improvement, turfing and a planting plan that will actually establish come first. Wedding gardens are planted up and brought on for the day itself, then kept right in the run up to it. Tell us the date and we will work back from it.