Garden cleanup in Stockholm

What is included in an autumn cleanup?

An autumn cleanup is about removing what would otherwise lie and rot over the winter, and about preparing plants and surfaces for cold and snow. Leaves left on the lawn smother the grass and cause fungal damage and bare patches by spring, while a layer of leaves in flower beds and under shrubs does useful work as protection for roots and insects – so not everything has to go. An autumn cleanup normally includes:

• Leaf collection from the lawn, flower beds, paths and the patio
• Cutting back perennials and removing annuals
• Clearing the flower beds and a last round of weeding before winter
• Sweeping paths, the drive and the patio, and removing moss from paving and steps
• Winter protection for roses, container plants and tender shrubs
• Removal of leaves and garden waste as an option

When should the autumn cleanup be done?

In October and early November, once the large deciduous trees have dropped most of their leaves but before the snow arrives. In Stockholm that often means two visits: one at the beginning of October and a final one in November, because birch, maple and oak lose their leaves at different times. Plots with many large trees almost always need more than one visit.

Perennials can be cut back in autumn or left until spring. The seed heads of rudbeckia, sedum and ornamental grasses feed the birds and look good in frost, so we are happy to cut down what goes soft and rots and leave what still stands well until the spring cleanup.

What is included in a spring cleanup?

A spring cleanup removes the traces of winter and gets the plot ready for the season: the lawn is raked clear of leaves, twigs and dead grass, the grit and sand from winter de-icing is swept up, moss is removed, the flower beds are weeded before anything has set seed, and last year's perennials are cut back if they were left standing.

The right time is once the frost has left the ground and the lawn has dried out, in Stockholm normally from the end of March into April. Raking a wet, frozen lawn damages both the grass and the soil beneath it, so it is work that has to wait until the ground carries.

• Raking the lawn and removing dead grass and leaves
• Sweeping up winter grit and sand from the drive, paths and lawn edges
• Moss treatment on the lawn, paving and steps
• Weeding and a first tidy-up of the flower beds
• Cutting back last year's perennials and removing winter protection
• Cleaning the patio, garden furniture and pots

Is one spring and one autumn cleanup enough?

For a small plot with few trees, two visits a year are often enough. Larger gardens, plots with many deciduous trees and housing cooperative courtyards that are used every day need something in between: weeding and sweeping a few times over the summer keeps beds and paths in shape and turns the autumn cleanup into a smaller job.

The most common arrangement is a maintenance contract with a spring cleanup, recurring visits during the season and one or two autumn cleanups. The work is then done by the same person who sees how the plot changes over the year, and our cleanup specialist Lövet knows where the leaves collect and where the weeds come back.

What happens to the leaves and the garden waste?

Leaves, grass clippings and cut-back perennials are excellent material to compost on the plot, and a leaf pile in a corner breaks down into leaf mould in a couple of years. If there is room we put the material where you want it, in the compost, behind a shrub border or in a pile that is left to sit.

Otherwise we load it and take it to a recycling centre that accepts garden waste. Waste removal and the tipping fee are an option and are not covered by the RUT deduction, because transport does not count as household work. Branches and brushwood can be chipped on site if the material is to be used as mulch in the beds.

What does a garden cleanup cost?

The price depends on the size of the plot, how much leaf litter and waste there is, the number of flower beds and hard surfaces, how accessible the plot is and whether waste removal is included. A plot that is cleaned every spring and autumn costs less per visit than one left untouched for several years, where the first visit is always the biggest. Service Plus gives a free quote with a reply within 24 hours.

Private individuals get a RUT deduction (the Swedish tax deduction for household services) of up to 50% of the labour cost for garden cleanup on the plot of their home, and the deduction is taken straight off the invoice. Removal of leaves and waste is not covered by RUT. Housing cooperatives, joint property associations and companies book the same work on seasonal contracts with a spring and autumn cleanup and recurring maintenance over the summer.