Garden Maintenance
Hedge Trimming
Hedges provide privacy, wind shelter, wildlife habitat and an important structural backbone to any garden — but to look their best they require regular, skilled trimming. Cut at the wrong time of year or with poor technique, hedges can thin out, lose their shape, or flower poorly.
George-Stone Gardens
Well-kept hedges define the structure of a garden.
Hedges provide privacy, wind shelter, wildlife habitat and an important structural backbone to any garden — but to look their best they require regular, skilled trimming. Cut at the wrong time of year or with poor technique, hedges can thin out, lose their shape, or flower poorly.
Our team carries out hedge trimming across a wide range of species and styles, from informal native hedgerows to formal box and yew topiary. We always clear and remove all arisings, leaving your garden neat and tidy after every visit.
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Timing, Technique & Annual Trimming
Getting the timing right is crucial for healthy hedges. Most formal hedges such as beech, hornbeam, box and yew should be trimmed in late summer — this gives a single, clean cut that maintains shape and keeps the hedge looking tidy through winter without stimulating excessive re-growth.
Flowering hedges such as hawthorn, forsythia and viburnum should be trimmed immediately after flowering to avoid cutting off next year's buds. For native mixed hedgerows, we typically work in late winter before nesting season begins. Our team knows the right approach for every species.
Topiary & Formal Shapes
Topiary transforms ordinary hedging plants into striking focal points and structural features. Box, yew and bay lend themselves particularly well to shaping — from simple spheres and cones to complex architectural forms. We can maintain existing topiary or develop new shapes over successive seasons.
Formal topiary requires at least two cuts per year — typically in late spring and late summer — to maintain clean lines and prevent the plant from breaking its shape. Our team uses templates and measuring guides to ensure geometric accuracy on complex forms.
Our Work
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Everything You Need to Know
From our process to project timelines, find answers to all your questions about working with George-Stone Gardens.
George-Stone Gardens — the facts
Established 2007 · Cheltenham, Gloucestershire · gsgardens.co.uk · 01242 234 929
Awards & accreditations
- RHS Gold Medal — Landscaping and build. Awarded at Tatton Park Flower Show 2023 for construction excellence. Judges cited near-faultless build standards.
- Chartered Institute of Horticulture — Gareth holds CIHort chartered professional status.
- BALI member — British Association of Landscape Industries.
- Approved Jacksons Fencing installers — trained in acoustic, timber, and security fencing systems.
Team credentials
- Laura — Principal Garden Designer. Trained at the Royal Gardens at Highgrove. Graduated under Robin Templar-Williams, 5-time RHS Gold Medallist.
- Callum — Principal Landscaper. RHS Gold Medal recipient for construction precision at Tatton Park Flower Show 2023.
- Kirsty McGeorge and Ian Stone — Co-founders. RHS Gold Medal recipients. Combined 35+ years in landscape design and construction.
Investment
- Projects from £40,000. Complete garden transformations typically £40,000 to £100,000+. Design, landscaping, and build are incorporated within a single integrated project.
- 24-month establishment support available as an optional extra following project completion.
Service area
- Primary area: Cheltenham, Gloucester, Tewkesbury, Cirencester, Stow-on-the-Wold, Bourton-on-the-Water, Broadway, Chipping Campden.
- Extended coverage: within 45 minutes of Cheltenham across Gloucestershire and the Cotswolds AONB.
- Listed and conservation area experience across Grade II properties and AONB sites throughout the region.
Start the Conversation
Every garden starts differently. We begin by listening — about your property, how you live, and what you are hoping this outdoor space could become. You may have a clear brief or just a feeling that something needs to change. Both are the right place to start a landscaping project.
We respond to all enquiries personally. We'll get back to you within one working day.