Maintenance of structures

Marginal vegetation around your woodland pond can be left for a few years to establish. Each autumn, Glorious Woodlands will rake off floating leaves and remove some that settle on the bottom. Autumn leaves falling or blowing onto the pond will increase siltation. If marginal plants start to spread noticeably from the margins to the centre of the pond, we will remove them. 

From about February onwards, look out for frogspawn and adult amphibians in your pond. In early spring, the water is clear so it’s the perfect time to observe life inside the pond. Glorious Woodlands will avoid mowing when young froglets are emerging from the pond, we will mow or scythe any long grass areas or wild flower meadows in late summer.

Observe the free-floating and floating-leaved rooted plants covering your woodland pond during the middle of summer. A new pond shouldn’t be completely covered in its first year. Where necessary growth will be removed in late summer. 

Also, observe water fluctuations throughout the year to get used to what is normal for your pond. This will allow you to notice when maintenance is required in the future.

Glorious Woodlands can do regular path clearances as part of your maintenance plan. 

Lush growth on the edge of a path should be cut back twice a year: the first cut should take place in May or June and the last in August or September.

If you decide to maintain your woodland yourself and find two cuts a year becomes too much maintenance, one cut in June is best. 

It is important to avoid clearing woody growth, scrub, hedgerows and brambles during bird nesting season, which is between April and the end of August. Instead, it is better to conduct major clearance in October and November.

A wide path should develop a ground cover of turf, this is easier to manage than a shaded and often muddy path.

A good quality, hardwood bench will be less prone to damage from natural causes such as wind and rain. Replacing slats on benches is fairly simple and the new slat will soon become weathered to match the others. 

Maintaining your bench means it will last longer, it is fairly simple to clean and treat benches. Glorious Woodlands will clean your bench with warm soapy water and a scrubbing brush, then leave to dry in the sun for a few hours. Before varnishing, we will strip back the old varnish and sand down the bench ready for a new layer of varnish. Varnishing your bench gives it a protective layer, using a high-quality varnish and bristle brush will help the layer last for a long time. We recommend three layers for a good quality finish. Alternatively, treatment oils such as teak oil can be used to maintain your bench. The benefits of oil treatment is that it enhances the natural grains of the wood. 

Memorial benches are also a lovely touch, you can engrave a message or add a plaque to commemorate someone special.

Maintaining fences that are part of a tree protection plan requires any gaps to be fixed immediately. This will stop any damaging wildlife getting through to interfere with your tree’s growth. 

Cleaning your fence every year or so will help keep it free of mildew. As with wooden benches, Glorious Woodlands will clean your fence and allow it to dry for a few hours before using oil or varnish. Also, keeping bushes, vines and other woodland features away from fences will help them last longer. Painting is required every few years, you will usually notice when the fence is in need of some care. 

Wooden fences with strong posts will last a long time if cared for properly. Replacing panels which have become damaged or broken makes them less expensive than replacing all the panels at once. We will check the fences for damage regularly, especially near the bottom and make sure the posts are secure will help keep your fence safe. 

Once your woodland is established, a lovely addition to your wooden fence will be a hedgehog hole, this allows hedgehogs and similar wildlife to access your woodland. A small archway or gap will allow your woodland to come to life. A little sign for your hedgehog entrance is also a fun addition that children will love!

Wooden dwellings:

As with most wooden features, high-quality timber will last for longer. Glorious Woodlands will make sure a professional treats your wooden dwelling to guarantee a perfect finish for your timber. Sodium silicate is a good treatment to help stop damage from insects and we will ensure a waterproof treatment is used. Regularly treating your wooden dwelling will help it last for years to come.

It’s important to clear the base of your dwelling from dirt and other debris as they hold moisture which will damage your wooden dwelling. Make sure water can run off the roof well, water sitting on your dwelling will cause problems. Capturing this run off water is a great way to be more environmentally friendly. Also, Glorious Woodlands will check the security features such as bolts and fittings to make sure your dwellings contents are safe. 

Caravan maintenance:

Glorious Woodlands will check all the features such as cupboards, windows and hinges to make sure there is no damage and replace seals and other features where necessary. Cleaning your caravan with wax will help it stay cleaner for longer. As with other dwellings, we will check the security features and clean debris to avoid damage. If your caravan has water, gas and electricity features then these will be checked and maintained.