Booking a gardener sounds simple enough. You need the lawn cut, the hedge shaped, maybe the borders tidied before the weekend, and you want it done properly without hassle.

If you live or work near Replingham Road, you already know that a garden visit can be easy in theory and oddly tricky in real life.

If you have ever booked garden work and then felt that awkward little jolt when the final bill arrived, you are not alone.

If you live near Southfields Tube, your front garden does a lot of quiet work. It frames the house, shapes first impressions, softens the street, and, if it's done well, makes coming home feel a little calmer.