Garden maintenance during guest visits

For anything to do with the garden and pool
guest 4
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Garden maintenance during guest visits

Post by guest 4 »

We only have a small plot around our villa, but have lots of shrubs and flowers planted.

Everything seems to grow like wildfire in Cyprus during the warmer months, plus we have irrigation which helps them to thrive. It also helps the weeds!

Our girls (management) have understandably said it is too much for them to look after the garden as well as doing the change overs in the 4 hours they have available.

I have asked them if they can recommend a gardener to spend an hour or two per week to do some tidying up. They are under the impression that it should be done during the change overs.

I think that guests would understand that the garden needs to be maintained and would not mind him doing it during their stay.

How do you all cope with the gardening issue?

Ruth
la vache!
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Post by la vache! »

This week, it has been a question of cutting the grass when it hasn't been raining, which was today. Unfortunately because it was the only day it hasn't rained for several days, all the guests were out in the garden too.
No-one complained, but it is different for me because I'm the owner and live on site, so they are used to seeing me clean the pool, do the watering and all the other daily jobs.
Stephen
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Post by Stephen »

Our changeover days are saturdays and thats when I cut the grass 2 acres of it, if its raining I go back through the week,
we tell the guests someone might go and cut the grass, no problem it needs to be done..

At our villa in Orlando the management company organises the gardening, and you see loads of lawn maintainence going on all the time, after all they are only there a short while, they arn't going to be there all day.
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J&J
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Post by J&J »

I'm sure no one would mind a gardener pottering around for a couple of hours providing the timing is right. Not before 10am (in case they are late risers) and finished by midday so as not to disturb an alfresco lunch would be quite good.

James.
LaLuz
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Post by LaLuz »

Our property Manager organises for the gardening to be done at the same time as the changeover.

If it's a 2 week booking that means the grass is getting a bit on the long side by the end of the holiday but it's not a huge lawn anyway and personally I prefer that to having someone come in whilst I'm sunbathing etc.

During the summer months we live outside so no time would be convenient to us as holidaymakers and as I don't want it myself, I don't inflict it on others.

However, I do mention in the house information that it might be necessary at times but so far it never has been!
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

We have (or should have by now) a tiny garden in front and to the side of our terrace. The boundary has been marked with small shrubs, but I think we will be responsible for our own portion. Our manager has agreed to look after it, but that was before the new baby (born yesterday), so I will have to discuss it again with her. I also need to decide what to do with it, lawn is not really an option.
Guest3
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Post by Guest3 »

Kip, similar to you we have a small plot around our villa, mainly terrace area with a small fruit garden at the back of the villa and a bush running along one side of the boundary between the next villa. We do have a small front garden with a lawn, with two bushy bourganvillas.

Our gardeners (husband and wife team), come twice a week on Tuesday and Friday and spend an hour each time keeping the garden in order. They are gems and I really don't know what I'd do without them as they also keep 'an eye' on the villa during the week when we have guests.
guest 4
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Post by guest 4 »

Hi, thanks for all your replies.

A bit mixed then.

Crystal, do your gardeners do it while your guests are in residence? (the gardening that is! :lol: ) Or do you arrange it when the villa is vacant?

Ruth
Guest3
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Post by Guest3 »

Kip..they do the gardening every Tuesday and Friday even when guests are 'in house'.

We always mention at the meet and greet that the pool cleaner comes early morning (at 9am) on Mondays and Thursdays and the gardening is done on a Tuesday and Friday between 11am and 12pm...and that both have their own garden door key so that the guests are not disturbed.
Sarah
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Post by Sarah »

Up until now, as we live on site and do everything ourselves, we have tried to fit around guests and do everything when they go out (there is not enough time for all the gardening as well as the cleaning on changeover days). It has sort of worked but, last year most people spent all their time here, starting with breakfast outside which merged into lunch which merged into dinner so it was hard not to feel like we were disturbing everyone whatever time we went did it (last year was our first full season so steep learning curve).

This year it's been really hard because of all the rain, on the hot dry days we have had everyone wants to stay around the pool and then when it's raining, they may be out, but we can't do anything anyway. So I decided to have a gardening day - Tuesday (unless it rains of course which means we'll have to agree an alternative with the guests) which I have put in the house notes. We have 5 acres which needs to be done on the tractor, plus the lawns around the gite and flowerbeds, so I thought if we can get it all done in a day, then it will minimize disruption. I don't know whether this will work, but at least we wont' have to creep around checking if they're out before sprinting out with the mower.
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Mouse
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Post by Mouse »

I put in the house notes that the garden will need to be tended and watered but we will try and do it without any inconvenience. Same as the pool really.

We've never had any probs and as people say holidaymakers tend to know the place has to be upkept...so no surprises if a gardener turns up.
Afterall - its common place in hotels & apartment complexs so they'll have experienced it before.

Mouse
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gh
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Post by gh »

Same here, they know the pool and garden will be maintained on Fridays.

It doesn't take very long and if the guests are in they usually end up chatting to them, asking various questions, directions to....whats French for.......we get good feedback about our place too during these conversations, which is nice as we are not on site.

The ladies enjoy our poolmans visits, tall tanned and terribly good looking, especially if the weather is warm and has to take his top off. 8)
Hells Bells
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Post by Hells Bells »

:D :D
guest 4
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Post by guest 4 »

That sounds like me Sunflower, Ours is what you could call an Adonis.

When we are there I try to get up early enough to catch Andreas, he usually arrives around 6am. :lol:

Hubby hasn't cottoned on yet why some days I lie in and others I am up at the crack of dawn. :wink:

Ruth
gh
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Post by gh »

:P :wink:
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