The objectives of the Garden Care (Easy Care Gardening & Lawn Mowing) service are the following:

 

• To support the frail aged and people living with a disability to retain their independence and thus the freedom that comes from controlling their own lives;
• To help the frail aged and people living with a disability to stay in their own homes by providing a service which makes their garden easier to maintain;
• To assist in the conversion of gardens to ‘easy care’;
• To provide help to those in need either directly through this service or by referral to other organisations;
• To recruit and train volunteers in the techniques used in Garden Care; 
• To work in close liaison with other community service organisations;
• To encourage and assist the establishment of similar groups in other areas.
• To assist frail aged people and people living with disabilities by providing a regular lawn mowing service and so alleviate any stress caused by having an unkempt garden

Garden Care (Easy Care Gardening & Lawn Mowing) staff work with teams of trained volunteers to create low maintenance gardens.  This is achieved over one to three visits and includes weeding, mulching and pruning.  We also try to ensure that the garden is safe with easy access to regularly used parts of the yard. 

The service is not a general gardening service but aims to convert the gardens to be easy care and ecologically friendly. Once the garden has been weeded and mulched we return approximately 12 months later to maintain the work.

Principles Of Easy Care Gardening [Download]

What you can expect from the gardening service:

• After your garden assessment has been completed, Garden Care staff will be in contact with you to make an appointment to convert your garden to low maintenance
• Teams work between 9.00am and 1.00pm with a half hour tea break in the mid morning
• Each team comprises of between two and eight workers.
• Garden Care provides all tools and equipment.            
• Work will be carried out as outlined in your garden care plan (your garden care plan will be made at your first garden assessment)
• Your garden care plan will be reassessed and updated each visit or as needed

Things Easy Care Garden Clients should know:

Use of Mulch - This is the most fundamental part of Garden Care. It helps prevent weed growth, holds in moisture, prevents soil erosion and adds nutrients to the soil.  Before laying down the mulch layers of newspaper are placed on the garden bed under the mulch. Mulch is provided by Garden Care.

Working with volunteers - You are asked to be aware that our gardening workers are volunteers. They give their time and effort because they enjoy gardening and helping others. We give them guidelines regarding Garden Care methods and they have the right to decline work that they feel is beyond their role.

Garden Care does not provide services for the removal of large trees, rubbish removal, or removal of fences.  If you are unclear on the services available please contact Garden Care staff on the numbers provided.

When we visit your garden you are most welcome to join in with our volunteers – your company would be appreciated.  We also ask that, if possible, you supply a basic morning tea/cold drink for our volunteers and access to a toilet and hand washing facilities.

Cost

The cost of this service is small. A visit from our team will cost the client $15 - $30 for a half day’s work, depending upon the size of the work team. For gardens requiring multiple visits a maximum of $70 per conversion will be charged. Consideration will be given to those in financial difficulties.

An example of Garden Care at work before and after...

Operated differently to the easy care gardening service, the lawn mowing service uses independent lawn mowing contractors plus Garden Care (Easy Care Gardening & Lawn Mowing) staff to mow your lawn up to 15 times each year at a reduced cost.

What you can expect from the lawn mowing service:

• The Contractor or Garden Care lawn mowing operator will:
• Mow the front and rear yard
• Cut all edges
• Remove all lawn and edge clippings
• Sweep/blow paths clear
• Leave you a receipt for your amount paid and inform you of his/her next scheduled visit.

Cost
Part of this fee is paid by you, the client, and the rest is paid by Garden Care (Easy Care Gardening & Lawn Mowing). Garden Care sets a fee with the Contractors each year based on a typical market value.  You pay the Contractor your contribution directly each time he or she visits to mow your lawn.

Garden Care (Easy Care Gardening & Lawn Mowing) staff will discuss the price with you before any mowing commences. If you are unable to pay the fee due to financial hardship you will not be refused the service. You will need to advise Garden Care (Easy Care Gardening & Lawn Mowing) staff if this is the case.

The purpose of Garden Care (Easy Care Gardening & Lawn Mowing) is to assist frail aged people and younger people with disabilities and their carers, remain in their own homes in the Canterbury, Leichhardt and Marrickville Local Government Areas.

Even though a person may fall within the above eligibility criteria Garden Care (Easy Care Gardening & Lawn Mowing) is not an entitlement program. There is no guarantee of receipt of services, rather access to service is based on relative need and availability is determined by level of resources and government funding.

A person may be assessed and advised that they will be able to receive a service, however if no vacancies exist at that time they will be placed on a Waiting List until such time as a vacancy arises. This Waiting List will be regularly reviewed.

Those on the Waiting List are asked to advise Garden Care (Easy Care Gardening & Lawn Mowing) staff if there is a change in their circumstances as this may affect their place on the list.

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What if I’m not happy with either the Easy care gardening or lawn mowing service? 

We aim to provide you with the highest quality service possible with the funding we receive. We would like to know if you have any problems with the service. Your service will not be stopped if you complain.

If you do not feel satisfied with the contractor who visits you, please inform the Garden Care Project Officer.  We welcome your comments and suggestions about the service we provide at Garden Care (Easy Care Gardening & Lawn Mowing).  Your feedback helps us to provide a better service – complaints and compliments will be listened to and taken into account when planning our activities.

For information on making a complaint, please refer to the page on Complaints: “If you tell us we will try and fix it”.

Complaints Flyer [Download]