What we do
Everything a garden needs, one local team.
From regular lawn care and hedge trimming to planting, clearance and full garden transformations — Willows Garden Care covers the lot across Macclesfield and east Cheshire, led by a gardener who studied how plants grow.
01Service
Lawn Care & Mowing
A good lawn is the frame for everything else, and it is where an agricultural grounding earns its keep — knowing how grass grows, not just how to cut it. We mow, edge and stripe on a regular round, and take on tired or uneven lawns that need bringing back. Whatever the ground throws at us, clients tell us they are really pleased with the result.
02Service
Hedge Trimming & Shaping
Hedge work is a craft, and difficult hedges are where we come into our own. One client wrote that Will "made a very good job of a difficult task" cutting a holly hedge; another had her hedges trimmed with precision she rated "10/10 and more." We shape formal and informal hedges, keep them healthy, and clear every cutting away when we go.
03Service
Planting, Borders & Beds
This is where a degree in Agriculture and a lifetime in the Peak District show. We set out borders and beds to suit the soil and aspect, plant for structure and seasonal colour, and give honest advice on what will actually thrive where — rather than what simply looks good on the day of planting.
04Service
Overgrown Garden Clearance
When a garden has run wild, we get stuck straight in. "Willows turned up nice and early and the guys went straight to it to get rid of our lawn jungle," one client wrote — uneven ground, weeds "as big as trees," and a really pleasing result. We clear overgrowth, reclaim borders and lawns, and take all the green waste away with us.
05Service
Drives, Paths & Tidy-ups
It is often the drive and the paths that make a property look cared-for or neglected. We tidy and clear drives and paths, edge them back cleanly and take the mess with us — one client had "my hedges trimmed and drive tidied" and rated the precision and care 10 out of 10. A tidy job, left tidy.
06Service
Garden Design & Transformations
For gardens that need more than upkeep, we plan and carry out the whole transformation. "From initial consultation, to the work being carried out, the team have been incredible," one client wrote — "professional, polite and so hardworking, and talented." One team, from the first walk-round to the finished garden, with the horticultural knowledge to make it last.
How we approach the work
Cared for, not just cut back.
What sets Willows apart is not a longer list of services — it is the horticultural grounding behind them. Here is what that means in practice.
Led by how plants grow
Will's degree in Agriculture and a Peak District upbringing mean the work follows the soil and the seasons — the right job at the right time of year, not a one-size-fits-all round.
The right cut, the right time
Hedges shaped while in the correct growth stage, lawns cut at the right height for the season — so a garden stays healthy and looks its best rather than merely tidy for a week.
Difficult ground welcome
Uneven plots, weeds "as big as trees," a mature holly hedge that is a genuinely difficult task — the awkward jobs are some of our favourite work, and we get stuck straight in.
Cleared up, every time
We tidy as we go and take the green waste away with us — "cleared up after," as the reviews put it — recycling it where we can rather than leaving a pile on your lawn.
How we work
Early starts, careful work, cleared up after.
01
A free, no-obligation visit
Will comes out, walks the garden with you and listens to how you use it — then puts a clear plan and price to it. Whether it is a single hedge or a full remodel, there is no obligation to go ahead.
02
Early starts, done properly
The team turns up when they say they will — clients mention it in review after review. The work is done with care and precision, on ground that is often uneven or overgrown, by people who understand what they are cutting and planting.
03
Cleared up and kept right
Everything is tidied and the green waste cleared away, not left in a pile on your lawn. And because we know the gardens we look after, many clients keep us on for regular care, season after season.
Before you call
Questions we're asked most.
Do you charge for a quote or consultation?
No. Consultations and quotes are always free and come with no obligation. Will comes out, walks the garden with you, listens to what you want from it and then puts a clear price to it — whether it's a single hedge or a full transformation. You're under no pressure to book anything.
Who will actually be doing the work?
Willows Garden Care is run by Will Shackleton, who works alongside his team on the gardens we look after. Will was raised in the Peak District, holds a degree in Agriculture and worked on a dairy farm before turning to gardening full time — so you're dealing with someone who genuinely understands how plants and ground behave, not a franchise.
Do you only do big projects, or smaller jobs too?
Both. We take on full garden transformations and design work, but we also mow a lawn on a regular round, trim a single hedge, clear an overgrown garden or tidy a drive. Plenty of our clients started with one job and kept us on afterwards — several say they "won't use any other company."
Which areas do you cover?
We're based on Gunco Lane in Macclesfield and cover east Cheshire — including Macclesfield, Prestbury, Alderley Edge and Wilmslow, and the villages between them. If you're not sure whether you're in range, just call and ask.
Can you handle a really overgrown or difficult garden?
Yes — it's some of our favourite work. Whether it's a "lawn jungle" with weeds "as big as trees," uneven ground, or a mature holly hedge that's a genuinely difficult task, we get stuck straight in and bring the garden back. Clients regularly tell us they're really pleased with the result.
What happens to the mess and green waste?
We clear as we go and take it away with us — clients mention again and again that we "cleared up after" and left things tidy. Green waste is recycled wherever possible rather than left in a pile on your lawn.
Do you turn up when you say you will?
Yes — it comes up in review after review. "Turned up nice and early," "turned up when he said he would," "reliable and professional." Being dependable is a big part of why so many of our clients have us back.
Can you keep looking after the garden afterwards?
Yes, and many clients ask us to. Because we get to know the gardens we work on, we're well placed to keep them right season after season with regular visits — lawns, hedges, borders and seasonal tidy-ups. One client wrote they "hope to be working with them long into the future."
Not sure what the garden needs?
That's what the free consultation is for. We'll walk the garden with you, tell you straight what's involved, and put a clear plan and price to it.