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Garden management services Charente

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Your French Holiday Home Garden . . . or is it the beast?

‘Congratulations!’  

So, you have now acquired your French holiday home let in La Charente.  But, it requires a list of internal and external building works as well as modernisation and painting and decorating before you can bring your property to the French holiday let market.  So, what to do first?  What is the main priority in your lengthy ‘To Do’ list of work?  The ‘Garden.  

The garden is an important marketing feature, especially for guests looking to eat ‘Al Fresco’ in a well-maintained garden whilst drinking fine French wine beside a crystal-clear water swimming pool. But, unlike building works and painting and decorating, which can be rapid to carry out and complete, a garden takes time to plant, mature and to establish in order to portray that homely welcoming quality to appeal to guests. Indeed, some old English and heavily scented Damask roses – a favourite amongst English holiday guests – may take two years to flower, if bought cost-effectively as bare root in Autumn. Trees and shrubs also may take two to three years before making an impact on the landscape so as to reveal their true colours and glory.  Nature may be a difficult business partner to rush in your buy-to-let investment.

You may take the approach to ‘buy-in’ mature plants and trees to speed up the process in bringing your gîte to the holiday let market.  Although this may appear to be advantageous, there are several disadvantages.  The main disadvantage is the effect the approach will have on your property’s yield and your return on investment.  Paying more for less may reduce your holiday let yield.  Although an attractive garden is an important feature in enticing prospective guests, it may not substantially increase the property’s return or capital gain.  Further, there is the consideration of loss and waste.   Buying young plants or bare root roses may minimalise loss as the plants will become accustomed to their new environment.  In turn, waste is avoided and the likelihood of reaching a mature garden cost-effectively is increased.  The financial loss of garden plants can be considerable if careful planning and preparation is not carried out.  Moreover, it may be a hidden loss as the gradual disappearance of plants may be unnoticeable.  The replacement of plants will reduce your return and property yield.  Therefore, factor in the replacement of plants in your property maintenance services to help assess an accurate return on your holiday let investment.

Remember . . .

Stay on top of the garden, particularly during the growing months.  Nature is always waiting to reclaim her space!


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Gardening Services – Paying More for Less?

Minimalist garden styles may demand active garden maintenance services if a low maintenance garden approach had not been designed.

As for property design management services, if a simple approach has not been adopted, then maintenance costs may increase with a decrease in return on investment.  Therefore, if you are designing your rental income property or considering a refurbishment of an existing investment property, then do not forget to include the design of a low maintenance garden.

There are some several low maintenance garden concepts from which to plan a garden to attract paying guests to your property.

 

Natural Garden Planting Design

Meadow-effect long wispy Gaura creates a natural feel to a garden design and requires minimal garden services management.  Gaura requires pruning between late winter and early spring to encourage long summer season white or pink flowering.

Herbs are attractive as well as aromatic and worthy of consideration for a low maintenance garden design.  In addition, if you are providing a Chambre d’hote, bed and breakfast or une table d’hôte service, then the growing of fruit, vegetables and herbs will be important in order to cut cost and maximise your return.

Rosemary is another aromatic herb, late flowering, which has fragrant leaves and added to roasted vegetables and meat dishes. Rosemary’s light blue ground flowers may also be used to flavour custards and cream along with sugar.  The herb requires low maintenance care and it is attractive to bees due to its great source of nectar. It has many benefits to offer to an income generating property.

Lavender although may not be of low maintenance, the herb is a good all year plant. The plant bears fragrant flowers, stems and leaves and is ideal for its fragrance in the guest bed linen.  As for Rosemary, the herb has many benefits to offer the investment property and its guests.  In addition, it provides a valuable source of nectar for bees.

Remember . . .

Minimal gardens may cost more for less, so design environmentally and economically.

 

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Gardening Services . . . More or Less?

Garden maintenance services are essential for your gîte and its holiday rental income growth. 

However, a finely manicured minimalist lawn upon which your gîte may sit poised in readiness for this summer season’s marketing photos may come at a price if poorly managed.  Minimal garden design and conservative soft landscaping does not necessarily equate to low cost maintenance care-free gardening.  Indeed, the ‘Less is More’ approach in spacious garden design requires specialised care.

The easiest way to provide that special care is to invest in regular garden management services to ensure the maintenance of your garden design throughout the year, even out of season.  January and February may portray garden dormancy, but these winter months are important if your garden is to flourish in quality condition for your guests from early to late high season.

With the security of this summer’s holiday rental income firmly in mind, our winter garden maintenance and management task lists may assist:

 

Soil preparation

January and February are the months to prepare the garden’s soil for the year ahead.  If the ground is unfrozen, then fertilize the soil throughout.  Organic fertilizer is environmentally best and economically cost-effective.  If you have been diligently training last year’s guests to fill the garden’s compost bin, it should now be well rotted and ready to mulch into the soil.  If your garden design has been minimalised to design out a compost bin, then purchase a bag of good quality horse manure.  The latter will, of course, reduce your annual gîte yield, therefore, financially plan ahead in purchasing a compost bin with the aim to compost-train your forthcoming guests.

 

Grass

The ‘Grass it all!’ for low maintenance is the inadvertent ‘More for Less’ garden design.  High on active input management, high on increased cost and effective on lowering annual yield.

Grass requires specialised care. From weeding, aerating and conditioning to frequent watering and mowing from spring to late high season, the garden lawn is labour-intensive and cost-ineffective.  Winter guidance for lawns?  Try not to walk on the lawn if the grass is frozen.  Damaged grass will increase cost.

 

Natural Garden Planting Design will feature on our next post.