What do you do in the winter?

[Always learning]

Hello to everyone!

 

After getting made redundant 2 years ago, I started my Gardening business at the age of 42 with virtually no funds and just my domestic gardening equipment (which didn't last very long). Over the last two years I have been building up my skills via college, my equipment and most importantly, my customer base. As "tree work" only forms a small percentage of my income I haven't yet been able to build up enough of a financial buffer to see me through the winter.

 

I just wondered what some of you guys did to while away the winter months (mainly Dec, Jan and Feb) and put food on the families table? I'm starting to look at part-time jobs but would prefer to stay on the self-employed route.

 

Darren

[Tony Croft aka hamadryad]

I climb trees, summer, fall winter spring, its all good.

 

although I do more reading and hiding in the warmth in winter weekends than rambling in the old growth!

[Andy Collins]

Hi Darren, have you thought of renovating/re-designing gardens? Ideal time for doing hard landscaping, planting it up with new stock of trees etc. as well as taming unruly hedges and trees.

[skyhuck]

As Andy say, most of the gardeners I know do mostly hard landscaping through the winter.

 

The last two winters they have also been gritting paths/carparks and clearing snow.

[treequip]

As Andy say, most of the gardeners I know do mostly hard landscaping through the winter.

 

The last two winters they have also been gritting paths/carparks and clearing snow.

 

That’s the way to go, get yourself a contract with a supermarket to grit the car park.

[Daniël Bos]

Hedgelaying:thumbup1:

[chilli]

I save up some jobs which are either best done in the winter or convenient to save to then;...tree & hedge planting, garden clearance, trimming base & side growth from limes, renovating bench seats for parish council etc. Increasingly though, I've got into logs & kindling as a means of keeping busy & bringing in funds during the worst of the weather.

[RobRainford]

we grit liverpool seaforth docks. will be the 3rd year running this winter. It gets crazy, we shifted 150 tons of grit a week last year!

 

aswell as that we sell christmas trees, thats been going around 30 years now.

[harvey b davison]

Just like other lads have said, have a look at gritting, hard landscaping, renovation work, logging, kindling, Hows your diy skills, could you pick up maitenance contracts in nursing homes etc , keeps you warm in winter.

[roseyweb]

 

The same as summer only I wear an extra jumper