Harrogate Flower Show Award Winner
Garden Contractor for the North Yorkshire Omaze winning house, as seen on TV
Hocus Crocus was the contractor for the Omaze garden, restoring, maintaining and manicuring it for the competition winner, who hired us to restore it to its former glory for their television appearance.
Try your luck and win a house (opens Omaze in a new tab)Harrogate, Knaresborough & Nidderdale · Woman-owned, established 1998
Beautiful gardens and trees in Harrogate.
Garden design, planting, tree surgery and year-round care for private residences, care homes, pubs and commercial premises across Harrogate, Knaresborough and Nidderdale.
Meet Karen
Karen, and some of the work.
Gardener and tree surgeon, 28 years experience, established 1998.
The Team
The Work
Straight from Google
What Karen's customers wrote.
Three of the reviews on the Google listing, word for word. Read all 19 on Google.
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Google review
“Just had some more gardening work and trees done by Karen and her team. New lawn laid at back and borders altered to make life easier. Realistically priced for a full days work. Such a professional eye to detail. Asked them to maintain my garden monthly. Great.”
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Google review
“Very friendly and reliable with attention to detail. My garden has never looked better the hanging baskets are lovely! Highly recommended!”
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Google review
“Karen maintained my garden for years and did a fantastic job. She was helpful in providing advice on specific issues, always responsive to requests for different/additional services, was great at communicating, and the only reason I stopped using her was due to moving out of area. I'd highly recommend.”
An award winner in the Best Show Garden category at the Harrogate Flower Show
- 28 years28 years in Arboriculture & Horticulture, since 1998
- BS 3998The standard our tree work follows
- IOSHCertified for commercial and high risk sites
- NPTCApproved, insured, DBS checked, Ecological Risk Assessor
We make your garden special
One team for the garden and the trees.
Karen's team is gardener and tree surgeon in one, which eliminates the need for several contractors.
A gardener and a tree surgeon, in one team
Borders, lawns and hedges, plus crown work, felling and stump removal to BS 3998. One visit, one price, no second contractor to chase.
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28 years in Arboriculture & Horticulture
Karen has worked gardens across Harrogate, Knaresborough and Nidderdale since 1998, on domestic plots, commercial grounds and high risk sites.
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An award winner at the Harrogate Flower Show
Karen is an award winner in the Best Show Garden category at the Harrogate Flower Show, so the design side is not guesswork.
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NPTC approved, insured, DBS checked, IOSH certified, Ecological Risk Assessor
Which is why we can work schools, hospitals, care homes, car parks, sports grounds and farmland as well as ordinary back gardens.
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Holds a full Waste Carrier Licence
So the green waste from your garden leaves with us.
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Guidance on the council paperwork
Tree Preservation Order and conservation area work needs an application to North Yorkshire Council. We give you guidance on what is needed, so you are not left guessing.
More on Karen and the team on the about page.
Inspiring green spaces
From a fortnightly mow to a whole new garden.
One local team for the whole plot: the borders, the lawn, the hedges and the trees. Free visit, written price, green waste taken away. We also plant round hot tubs and outdoor bars.
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Gardens
Garden Maintenance
Regular visits or a one off tidy up: weeding, borders, pruning, mowing and seasonal jobs, with the green waste taken away every time.
See garden maintenance -
Design
Garden Design and Makeovers
Full designs and makeovers, planting up new build homes and wedding gardens.
See garden design -
Trees
Tree Surgery
Crown reduction, thinning, felling, dismantling and stump removal, all worked to BS 3998 by NPTC approved surgeons. Guidance on TPO and conservation area paperwork.
See tree surgery -
Hedges
Hedge Cutting
Trimming, reshaping, height reduction, lifting and topiary, with seasonal contracts so every hedge is cut at the right time of year.
See hedge cutting -
Commercial
Commercial Property
Indoor and outdoor planting, grounds and tree work for pubs, restaurants, car and furniture showrooms, offices, shops, schools and care homes. Insured, DBS checked and IOSH certified.
View service -
Estates
Grounds and Estate Maintenance
Scheduled grounds care for estates, farm holdings, sports grounds, car parks, verges, holiday lets and large private grounds. Fully insured, DBS checked and IOSH certified.
See grounds maintenance -
Lawns
Lawn Mowing and Lawn Care
Fixed price mowing rounds, edging, feeding and reshaping, plus new lawns laid with premium quality turf and bespoke edging.
See lawn care and turfing -
Seasonal
Indoor Planting, Pots and Planters
Planted pots, troughs and made to measure window boxes for homes, pubs and shops, designed, delivered and changed with the seasons.
See pots and planters - WhatsApp KarenSend a photo of the garden and she will come and look before she prices anything. Open WhatsApp
Also available
Ponds, jet washing and new turf.
Mention them when you enquire and they get priced in with the rest of the job.
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Ponds
Pond Treatment and Jet Washing
Eco friendly pond cleaning that puts wildlife first, water plants to order, and jet washing for pond edging, stonework and water features.
See pond treatment -
Turf
Turfing
New lawns laid with premium quality turf, the ground prepared and levelled first and the edging cut in afterwards. Usually quoted alongside the mowing.
See turfing - WhatsApp KarenSend a photo of the garden and she will come and look before she prices anything. Open WhatsApp
How it works
Three steps, and the first two are free.
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Call or send the form
Ring Karen on 07816 779 064 or fill in the form and say roughly what the garden needs. Photos help, but they are not essential.
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A free visit and a written price
Gardens and trees are hard to price from a photograph, so we come and look, talk it through with you and put the price in writing. No charge, no obligation.
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The work, and a tidy site
We turn up on the agreed day, do the job, and the green waste leaves with us. Paths, beds and drives are swept before we go.
Free visit, no obligation
Send Karen the details.
Tell us your town and roughly what the garden or the tree needs. Karen will come and look before she quotes.
Rather send photos? Send them straight to Karen on WhatsApp.
- Free visit and a written price, no obligation
- 28 years in Arboriculture and Horticulture, since 1998
- NPTC approved, Ecological Risk Assessor, insured, DBS checked and IOSH certified
- Rated 4.5 out of 5 from 19 Google reviews
Our work
Recent gardens and tree work
Karen's own photographs of her own jobs.
In their own words
Gardens since 1998, in customers' own words.
Word for word from Karen's customers. Read all 19 reviews on Google.
“Have used several local companies on my very large garden in Pateley Bridge as well as a few properties I rent out until I was recommended Karen at Hocus Crocus and now I would not use anyone else. The tree surgeons are highly skilled and had no problem cutting down a huge 70 ft sycamore tree”
Customer testimonial“Karen and her team are absolutely amazing! I never imagined my garden could look so fantastic! The price was very competitive, the team were reliable and work was completed on schedule. Highly recommend!”
Google review“Karen is a gem. After approaching several unsatisfactory firms, we discovered her and found her pleasant and easy to get on with, hard working, imaginative, reliable and very thorough in both the planning and the execution of the scheme. In two days she and her team transformed our incredibly boring garden into a very attractive, low maintenance one. Highly recommended.”
Customer testimonial“Great team,really professional,fair prices and all the rubbish cleared up when they finish. Would not use anyone else.”
Garden work“Our huge cherry tree has been given a smart haircut, thanks to Hocus Crocus. Excellent job, by knowledgeable, skilled people. Everything left tidy and branches taken away. Lovely people and a great price! Thank you”
Customer testimonial“Highly recommended. Karen and her team were extremely knowledgeable, professional and efficient. Stripped back our overgrown garden and provided invaluable advice. Can't recommend enough! Thanks!”
Google review
Where we work
Harrogate, Knaresborough and Nidderdale are our main patches.
We work near Knaresborough, out across Harrogate and its villages, up Nidderdale and on to Ripon, Boroughbridge and Wetherby. Pick your town to see what we do there.
- Harrogate
- Ripon
- Knaresborough
- Pateley Bridge
- Summerbridge
- Boroughbridge
- Killinghall
- Hampsthwaite and Birstwith
- Darley
- Nidderdale
- Bewerley
We also cover Dacre, Glasshouses, Wilsill, Low Laithe, Clint, Felliscliffe, Ripley, Burnt Yates, Bishop Thornton, Markington, Bishop Monkton, Sharow, Grewelthorpe, Kirkby Malzeard, Aldborough, Minskip, Roecliffe and Scriven, plus Wetherby at the far edge of the patch. See every town and village we cover.
Ask before you book
Not sure what your garden needs?
WhatsApp Karen a photo Call 07816 779 064
She will tell you straight what it needs.
Before you ring
The questions we get asked most.
Which towns and villages do you cover?
We are based near Knaresborough, so Harrogate and its surrounding villages, Knaresborough, Ripon, Killinghall, Boroughbridge, Wetherby, Hampsthwaite and Birstwith, Summerbridge, Pateley Bridge, Darley and Bewerley are all a short run, along with Nidderdale and the villages in between. If you are not sure whether you are in the patch, ring and ask.
Do you charge for a quote?
No. The visit and the written quote are both free and there is no obligation to book. Gardens and trees are difficult to price accurately from a photograph, so Karen comes out, looks at the job with you and prices what is actually in front of her.
Are you insured and DBS checked?
Yes to both, and the team is NPTC approved and IOSH certified as well. That is what allows us on to schools, hospitals, car parks, sports grounds, farmland and other high risk sites as well as ordinary domestic gardens. Ask to see the certificates at the visit.
Do I need council permission before a tree is cut?
Sometimes. A tree covered by a Preservation Order needs written consent first, and a tree in a conservation area normally needs six weeks of written notice to the council under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990. Hocus Crocus gives you guidance on what North Yorkshire Council needs, so you know exactly what to submit. The application itself is made by you as the property owner.
Can I book a one off tidy up, or do I have to sign up to regular visits?
Either. Plenty of jobs are a single clearance of an overgrown garden or one hedge cut. Regular rounds and fixed price mowing work out better value if you want the garden kept on top of, but there is no obligation to sign up to anything.
What happens to the garden waste?
It leaves with us. Every visit ends with the cuttings raked up, loaded and disposed of in an eco friendly way, and the paths, beds and drives swept. If you would rather keep the wood chip for mulch, say so and we will leave it stacked.
How much does a gardener or tree surgeon cost in Harrogate?
There is no flat rate, because a fortnightly mow, a one off garden clearance and a day of tree work are very different jobs. The price depends on the size of the garden, how easy it is to reach and the state it is in, so Karen gives you a written price after a free visit. Both the visit and the quote are free, with no obligation to book.
There are more answers, including hedge timing, ponds and weedkiller, on the full FAQ page. Anything else, ring 07816 779 064 or email karen@hocuscrocus.com.
Free and no obligation
Tell Karen what your garden needs.
Send a few photos or just describe the job. Karen comes out, looks at the garden with you and puts a written price together. No charge for the visit.
- Free site visit and a written price
- Straight answers on what the garden actually needs
- NPTC approved, fully insured and DBS checked
- All green waste cleared and taken away