A Green Thumbs Up

The boundless enthusiasm of Helen Sheriff, Gavin Hawkins, Mark and Michele Walton is something to behold. Ask them anything lawn related and their eagerness to offer a solution is obvious.

Helen and Gavin cover an area that encompasses Brighton, Ditchling, Hassocks, Lewes, Seaford, Uckfield and Hailsham while Mark and Michele’s area includes Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath, East Grinstead, Crawley, Horsham, and Billingshurst.

With a fleet of nine vans between them, be assured GreenThumb will cover your area.

Mark told me, “We offer an annual cycle to help keep a lawn strong, healthy, and looking pristine.” Gavin added, “A lawn is a living, growing entity that changes over the seasons and years and needs to be looked after.” Helen continued, “A treated lawn will have fewer With spring on the horizon we sent Robert Veitch to meet the experts at GreenThumb who are working hard to create beautiful, healthy lawns for their customers, all year round

weeds, less moss, and it will be healthier, greener and stronger, all year round.”

GreenThumb first put down roots in 1986 as a lawn maintenance service and has now grown to 220 UK branches. The branches are run by, and employ, people that live in the area in which they work. “Think of it as a local service with a national reputation,” noted Michele. They offer a range of treatments to help improve your lawns density, colour and overall health, including fertilising, weed and moss control, pest and disease control, aeration, scarification and more.

The GreenThumb research and development is ongoing and ensures they offer the best and most up to date products for your lawn.

The best way to get in touch is via the ‘Find The Local Branch’ tool on the website, which will put you in touch with your local team. A team member will arrange a visit, then undertake a survey to suit your lawn and your budget. The cost is dependent on the size of the lawn to be treated; front garden, rear garden, part of it or all of it, take your pick.

Services can be provided on a pay-as-you-go basis or by direct debit where prices start from £7.50 a month for a 40m2 lawn.

Mark revealed, “direct debit spreads the cost evenly over the year, but there’s no contract lock in. As long as customers have paid for the service they’ve had up to that point, they can stop at any time.”

Gavin was keen to point out, “In the long run our service can work out cheaper than DIY. Everything is provided, the lawn operatives are experts in what they do, and we use specialist products that aren’t commercially available.”

GreenThumb lawn operatives are City & Guilds

qualified (formerly NPTC), so they know what they’re doing and what precautions to take. Their operatives are always happy to offer advice on good lawn care, such as watering and mowing, and will identify any problems that might be developing in your lawn. The advice they offer is based on education and experience. That rounded body of knowledge they all develop over time is available to put your lawn on a sound footing.

In addition, with an average length of service of almost a decade, and a low staff turnover, they must like

Like all your plants, the grass in your lawn needs care to keep it healthy and looking its best in the months to come:

• Clear the lawn of debris, raking gently so as not to damage the grass • Aerate the soil to allow water, air and nutrients into the root zone, because stronger roots create a stronger lawn • As the weather warms up, scarify to remove the thatch and moss, creating space for new grass • Keep mower blades clean and sharp, and cut on the highest setting until we are safely past the last frosts

what they do, and be good at what they do. As Michele stated, “Our job is to give customers a wonderful lawn and to offer exceptional service.”

GreenThumb offer three lawn care plans; Basic, Standard and Ultimate.

The Basic plan includes five seasonal treatments, whilst the Standard and Ultimate plans offer extra treatments, such as aerating and scarifying. Your lawn representative will explain the benefits of the various treatments and plans at the survey.

If your lawn needs a fresh start, look no further than the Lawn Makeover. GreenThumb can expertly apply seed and top dressing to give your lawn a totally fresh start.

Helen’s vision is clear. “I see gardens as outside rooms. As with all rooms in your property, you want the garden to look its best and a beautiful lawn will bring out the best in your garden.”

Whether you want a pleasant place to sit on a summers day or a hardy lawn for the kids to run around on, GreenThumb can help. Whether your patch is large or small, there’s a plan for all, and GreenThumb will endeavour to bring out the best in your lawn.

The grass can be greener on your side of the fence, and it’s thumbs up to that. l

www.greenthumb.co.uk Brighton/Lewes 01273 020720 Haywards Heath/Horsham 01273 491099